Flying Free
by SevenMoreTimes
Summary: Laura and Bill's relationship had been building up slowly ever since New Caprica, both of them unaware of the ultimate consequences of her miraculous cure. When the unexpected happens, it changes everything for them, but changes aren't always bad.
1. I

**Disclaimer: **None of the characters are mine. I'm just borrowing them for a little while. No copyright infringement is intended.

This one's my first fanfiction. Something I've had in my mind for a while.

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**I.**

Laura wanted to see _her_ Bill and share her little secret with him. She hadn't actually seen him for quite a long time. Instead of _her_ Bill she was only able to see William Adama, the Admiral of the Fleet. She needed _Bill_, her friend. And so she headed to his quarters, without warning him, hoping to find the man she needed to talk to.

She walked down Galactica's corridors, completely desert at that time of the day. Everyone was at their rooms or working in their night shifts. She easily got to his quarters. Standing in front of the hatch, she breathed heavily, trying to reorganize her thoughts. '_What am I doing here? Stupid. Stupid Laura. Why did I have to wait until this hour? He's provably sleeping. He won't be in the mood to talk with me now... Frak! Breathe... Why don't I have the frakking nuts to enter and finish with this?' _If she didn't enter at that moment she wouldn't be able to gather the strength to do it in a long while. And the truth is she didn't have that much time if she wanted the whole _situation_ to work out. Oh, and she wanted it to work!

She was surprised when she found the hatch already unlocked. With a little push it opened. She entered the room and closed after her, locking it. With a quick glance around the room she located Bill. He was sitting behind his desk looking at some files. He didn't notice her. Laura smiled at the sight before her eyes: he was working hard regardless of the late hour, going through files, with his glasses at the end of his nose, letting little grunts flow from his mouth. It would probably mean getting _Bill_ would be even harder than she had expected at first.

A hum escaped her lips. He could have recognized it anywhere, just like the sweet fragrance that emanated from her. It was filling his nostrils, intoxicating him. He quickly cast away his paperwork and looked up from his desk, hoping to find _his_ Laura. Not Laura Roslin, President of the Twelve Colonies of Kobol, but _his Laura_.

Things had been difficult between them during the last weeks. Both of them had lots of work to do. The disappearance of Kara, the comeback of Baltar and the preparations for his trial had only made their work harder. The two of them hadn't been able to be themselves with each other for more than a month.

When he looked at her he found Laura's most radiant smile shining in her lips. He quickly answered with one of his genuine smiles he only reserved for her. It was late. She looked tired. And gorgeous. Bill got up from his desk and gestured towards the coach. Without saying a word she did as she was asked, noticing how his eyes were never leaving her.

They sat side by side in the couch. Laura felt all her strength leaving her. She was unable to open her mouth. His concerned eyes were able to tell something was off with her. He guessed she was there to talk with him. What else could she want at that time of the day? Something was bothering her. She was _his Laura_.

"Laura, are you alright?" He looked at her in the eye, trying to analyse her.

"Yes." She answered with a little smile creeping in her lips.

"Are you sure everything's fine?" He was concerned about her. Laura didn't answer; she just hummed and nodded her head. '_Liar_' he thought. She was hiding something. It was obvious. She hadn't been herself lately. The last time she had been herself around him had been over a month ago. They had spent all night together, alone in his quarters, remembering New Caprica and their joyous first night together... "Laura, it's late... How are you going to get back to Colonial One?"

"I'm not. Not tonight." Laura's voice didn't shake, but she was completely nervous inside. She felt like a teenager. And she hated it. She hated not being able to control her emotions.

"So..." Bill's voice was playful.

"One of your beds?" She quickly suggested, cutting him off. "If the offer is still on, that is." A small smile warmed her words.

"You know you're always welcome here. May I know to what I owe the pleasure of this visit?"

"Oh, nothing serious. Just wanted to talk."

Bill didn't believe her. He knew there was more. She had been visiting sickbay quite often lately. Her aide never left her side, more stuck to her than ever. He easily noticed how her energy had been fading. He feared the worst. A couple of days before he even tried to talk to Cottle, but all he could get from him was '_doctor-patient confidentiality_'.

He recalled how full of life she had been on their last encounter... Too full of life for him to be able to keep her pace, actually. So different from the Laura seated next to him now... This one looked exhausted and was hiding something.

"Laura, are you alright?" He repeated. "You haven't quite been yourself lately, you've been visiting sickbay... Is everything alright?" His voice was broken.

She couldn't let him worry for her that way. He was fearing the worst and she simply couldn't allow it. Not even for one more minute. She had to talk to him, share her secret, even if she didn't have the strength to do so. He deserved to know the truth.

"We need to talk Bill, there's something I need to tell you." She met his eyes. "Don't worry. I just need to tell you, it's important." She put her finger in his lips, preventing him from speaking. "Just let me talk and do not interrupt me, okay?" He nodded, somewhat relieved, his curiosity eating himself inside out. "First of all, it's not a joke. I would never joke about something like this. And I wouldn't come to you if I wasn't sure or if I didn't have it confirmed..." She left out a sigh and dropped her finger from his lips. "Remember the last time we were here alone?" He nodded, how could he not remember it? "Well... A couple of weeks after I had a check-up with Cottle and he found something... hum... interesting?... in my blood sample. He wasn't sure what it was, so we just repeated it again the following week, then the other, and then nearly daily check-ups. He had a theory, a diagnosis... But he wanted to confirm it before sharing it with me... Although I also had my suspicions..."

Bill wasn't sure where all her talk was lead to. Yes, he could remember her constantly coming and going to sickbay, being irritated, being concentrated and lost in her thoughts. He wanted to know what was happening to her, he was concerned, and she seemed to be stuck in her talk. "Laura... What did he tell you?"

"He wanted to be sure everything was alright... And it is, don't worry" Laura smiled and took his hands in hers. "Bill... It looks like the cure for my cancer also... rejuvenated... my body. Just don't freak out... Please." She took a deep breath and squeezed his hands. "I am pregnant, Bill. Only eight weeks, but both of us are healthy."

Bill found himself lost in her green eyes. What had she just said? _'Frak, Bill, she's said "pregnant". Eight weeks... She said eight weeks, two months, and two months ago the two of you... This means you are going to... have a baby? Have a child? Better don't upset the lady. It's going to take a while to get used to the idea... but it's not that bad. Not bad at all._' She was looking at him, her eyes glowing. Was she happy about it? Bill could say so judging by the way her lips curled and her hands hold his. He couldn't disappoint her. He squeezed her hands and gifted her with one of his most charming smiles. "Pregnant? This means I'm going to have a baby?"

She let out a sigh she didn't know she had been keeping. His choice of words made her giggle. She always had giggle fits at the most strange situations. "Actually, _I _am. And... by the way, have I told you who is the father?" She teased him.

"Well... You. Me. Ambrosia. A long talk about New Caprica. My bed... A long night. A lady with way too much energy... All of it two months ago."

"You got me, Admiral." She gave him a huge smile that rested only a few seconds in her lips before she got serious. "Cottle says we're both healthy, that things are alright, but considering my age... Things can get complicated. I'm going to need someone to take care of me and lots of rest, Bill. I'm going to be moody and difficult. My body's going to change..."

"Laura..." Bill held her hands tightly and looked into her eyes. "I want to be there for you, for both of you. I want to be part of this."

Laura smiled at him. "Bill..." Her voice husky and filled with sweetness. "I want you to be there. It's just I don't want to force you into this. I don't want to make you do something you don't want to. I want you to be aware of what to expect..."

"Everything's going to be alright, Laura." He cupped her face between her hands and rested a sweet kiss in her forehead. "We are going to find a way to make this work out..." He then jointed their foreheads and looked at her. She had her eyes closed. A lone tear was sliding through her cheek to her lips, curled in a gentle smile. She looked peaceful and happy. They would find a way to make all of this work out.


	2. II

******_adama-roslinlove _**___kindly pointed out there were quite a few grammar mistakes, so I'm re-oploading it after checking it.  
_

___I've done my best, but feel free to warn me if you ever notice any big mistake. I'd appreciate it.  
_

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**II.**

"I don't want to be '_Uncle Bill_'! Laura, it's also my child!"

She rubbed her temples, trying to ease her headache. She had spent the night in Bill's bed, while he slept in the couch. However, she hadn't been able to get much rest. She spent most of the night tossing and turning, sweating. Sleep eventually overcame her exhausted self, although only to lead her to dreams about the Opera House and something else she couldn't remember all too well. She woke up after sleeping only a few hours, with the nausea and a headache clouding her coherent thoughts.

She _needed_ to rest. She didn't need to have this argument with Bill. She shouldn't have mentioned it. She shouldn't have brought it up at that moment. She should have kept her frakking mouth closed. "Bill, please... Lower your voice. This headache is killing me..."

He could see the exhaustion written all over her face. He had heard her mumbling while she dreamt. He knew she hadn't rested well that night, but he couldn't allow her to even mention that idea. Maybe it was only her lack of sleep talking... "Frak, Laura." His voice was merely a whisper. "You're contemplating the idea of me being my child's _uncle_!"

"Look, Bill, I-I shouldn't have said anything..."

"I told you I wanted to be _there._ You can't pretend I'm not a part of this! It's my child. I'll be it's father."

"Frak, Bill! You won't be the one who will have to face the Quorum and the Press, it will be me! Do you know how will they enjoy this? The President of the Colonies and the Admiral of the Fleet having a child, having frakked! If you want to be the _father _of our child I can promise you that you'll also have them all at your neck all the time..."

"That's what worries you? The pressure of the Press? Of the Quorum?"

"Of _my_ people. Of _our_ people." She was exasperated. "Imagine how Gaius frakking Baltar will enjoy it if he finds out; how he or anyone like him will use it against the Government. The President having a child with the Admiral! At her age! Oh, they will enjoy it, won't they? The President _pregnant_, having a child, dominated by her hormones, her emotions ruling her, unfit for her position..."

"Laura..." He looked at her worried. She was afraid. She didn't know how to deal with all that. She was scared of the months that were to come, of how people would take the news, of how it would affect her job and her life. "Making me the _uncle_ is not the solution to your problems. I told you I would be there; for the good and for the bad. By the way, do you think they're blind? They'll notice it. They'll know I'm the father."

Laura looked at him in the eye. _'Is it really that obvious?'_ She was tired and her day had not even started yet. "Just... let's not talk about anything of this right now, okay? It's still very early; we'll have plenty of time to bring the news to the Fleet. Can we just forget I even mentioned it, please? We'll sort it all out when the time comes..." She allowed her eyes to close and her lips to curl into a faint smile.

Bill's eyes scrutinized her. He could see there was something she needed to voice. Her silence, the look in her eyes, the way in which she entwined her hands. He sometimes had the ability to read her like an open book. "Laura..." His voice was now gentle and soft, only a whisper. His hands wrapped her shoulders and caressed them. "What's it?"

"It's nothing" She quickly whispered back, earning a stern look from him. He wouldn't let her get away with only this poor answer. "Alright... I am tired. _Very_ tired. Sleep doesn't come easily lately, and when it comes all I do is dream the same thing all over again. Then, I wake up covered in sweat, and with nausea and headache. Something normal, I guess." She smiled at him. "I wonder why they called it 'morning sickness'... Oh, and just for the record, a makeshift cot as the one I've got back in Colonial One is not the best option if you want to get any rest. This bed of yours is much more comfortable."

"You know, you could always use it. I'm fine in the couch, really." Bill smiled at her. "Now, with the trial coming and everything... maybe you could stay here more often. If they ask, we can just say the arrangement's been done in the President's behalf, in order to prevent her from daily shuttles from one ship to the other."

Laura just nodded at him. Staying aboard Galactica until the end of the trial had been one of the topics discussed in the last session with the Quorum. All the important matters the Government had in hands were now in Galactica, and would be there for a while.

Bill stood up and gestured her towards the table he had in the room, wanting her to sit there. As she did so he headed for the little kitchen in his rooms to prepare some breakfast for the two of them.

While he was alone, he let his mind wander. That night he did not get much sleep, he just couldn't stop thinking about the news Laura had brought him the previous day. His mind was already flooded with images of a Laura with a swollen belly, looking radiant, a part of him growing inside of her, her soft hands caressing the porcelain skin of her belly, her eyes glowing. Thousands of those images. He couldn't think of anything else. He was excited with the prospect of being a father again. That was the reason why he had been so upset with Laura's idea of him being the child's _uncle_. Maybe he had overreacted, he regretted it now. His poor Laura wasn't feeling alright. He was sure she didn't mean it.

After several minutes, Bill returned to the table carrying their breakfast. He found her fully clothed, prepared for her day. When he left the breakfast on the table she smiled at him and started eating. The meal left them both completely silent. When they finished, Laura insisted on cleaning up while he showered and dressed.

Once she found herself alone, she allowed herself to think about the changes her life would experience from now on. _'If it wasn't for the restless night, I could get used to this kind of life. He's already invited me to stay with him until the end of the trial, which means weeks living together. Would it be so terrible to live like this, to let Bill be there all the time? To have him caring for me and the child every day?' _Laura truly didn't know. She loved Bill. As a friend, maybe something more. As the father of her child.


	3. III

**III. **

The trial against Baltar had been the perfect excuse for Bill to ask Laura to stay in Galactica with him, in his quarters. She had to be in the ship every day; even the Quorum reunited aboard Galactica. He was worried about her, although he would never tell her, and having her closer to him all day long somehow calmed him.

She had temporarily moved into his quarters a week ago, after the necessary preparations. Laura, in the meantime, spoke to the Quorum, who easily approved the measure thinking of the upcoming trial. Bill made room for her in his quarters and somehow managed to get a bigger and more comfortable bed which he traded for his old one. Soon enough, in their first night cohabiting, they found out it was big enough for the two of them. Laura didn't want him to sleep in the couch, and Bill respected her decision of not sleeping _together_ but just in the same bed.

Even if they kept their distance inside the bed, he could feel her tossing and turning beside him. He could hear her gasping for air as she woke up from her dreams. He could see the thin layer of sweat covering her. Laura would never tell him, but his heat by her side managed to ease her insomnia a little bit. It reminded her she was not alone; that her dreams were that, just dreams. The Opera House was just a dream, nothing more.

They had already fallen into routine. She would get up earlier, take a shower and ready herself while Bill got up and prepared breakfast. Then, they would eat together, without any rush, enjoying the moment. Bill would take a shower and dress while she cleaned up. After that, both of them committed all their energy into their jobs until night came. They had dinner together most nights, only the two of them, before going to bed. But they never talked about the future. She had been avoiding it ever since that morning two weeks ago.

Maybe it was time to face what they had on their hands. She had an appointment with Dr. Cottle that afternoon, and Bill would kill her if she didn't tell him and he later found out about it. "Bill..." she said, making him raise his eyes from his breakfast.

He looked at her. "Yeah..." His voice was half absent, his mind occupied with trying to catch with his fork the last bit of food that was left on the plate. He heard her clearing her throat and instantly woke up from his daydream. "Sorry, you were saying?"

Laura looked at him and smirked. "I was just trying to tell you we've got an appointment with Dr. Cottle this afternoon at 3. If you want to come, of course."

"Does he know...?" Bill's voice was hesitant.

"That you're the father? Well, he didn't doubt it for a single second. I didn't tell him anything, he just assumed it." She smiled at him and finished her last bit of breakfast. "We shouldn't show up together... It's still too early for that. If somebody noticed, we'd be in trouble. We must do things the right way. We'll have plenty of time to be seen together..."

Bill's eyes glowed with a sparkle of amusement. They would have '_plenty of time_'... Did it mean she had already made a decision? "So it's not going to be _uncle Bill_ then?" He teased her.

"No" Laura smiled. "But if I'm not mistaken there are going to be plenty of _uncles_. Having you as an _uncle_ would be a waste, wouldn't it? After all, you have willingly agreed to put up with me and my pregnancy." She smiled again, giving him one of her most radiant smiles.

"Madam, it will be a pleasure." Bill faked a curtsy and smiled broadly at her. "As I've already told you, I have every intention to be there all the time for you and for our child"

After both of them had finished their breakfast, they resumed their daily routine. As she had been doing lately, Tory helped Laura keep her façade in front of everyone, sometimes assisted by Bill when he was around. All what people could see was their President a little bit tired, something everybody linked to the huge amount of work the trial against Baltar implied. Tory was the one responsible to give Laura her medication and to remember her to take care of herself when she was working. She was Laura's shadow most of the time, following her everywhere she went.

The appointment with Cottle came after long hours of work. When Laura got in sickbay, Ishay guided her to a bed, hidden behind thick curtains. She was surprised when she saw both Bill and Cottle waiting for her there.

"Young lady, I think your man was impatient for this. He's been asking questions for the last ten minutes" The doctor said in his usual fashion.

"I guess he's been a pain in the ass, doctor." She replied with a smirk in her lips, following the little game she and Cottle had.

As she reclined in the bed, Bill helped her. The doctor was about to give her her last test results. Bill suddenly did something that felt much more intimate and sweet that anything he had ever done before, even in their nights together or the last weeks sharing the same bed. He stood by her side and grabbed one of her hands with his. He squeezed it, looked into her eyes and smiled.

"Young lady, everything's alright. You're perfectly healthy, and so is your child." Cottle went on talking about rest, food, water, exercise and less work, a sermon Laura had already heard before. Apparently, Cottle thought of Bill as an ally in the battle that getting the President to relax and take care of herself was going to be. One he finished with the sermon, he took a new blood sample. "Now, raise your blouse, young lady, it's time for the ultrasound. If we're lucky we'll get to hear the heartbeat and see something." Cottle, as grumpy and sweet as always...

Laura quickly unbuttoned the lowest part of her blouse, leaving her abdomen bare. Cottle put some gel in it and opened the monitor. She felt Bill grabbing her hand again, patting it and smiling genuinely to her. _'If he's not really happy about this, then he's a gods-damn good actor.' _She was about to see her baby. The thought of it made her nervous. Her baby. She felt an infinite joy burning inside of her.

The doctor started his work and, after a few seconds, they all were able to hear the rhythmic sound of a little pounding heart. Laura's eyes filled with tears of joy. It was her baby! Of course she knew she was pregnant, she was feeling the symptoms almost all day long, but actually hearing the heart of her baby made her realize the little miracle she had been rewarded with. She was carrying a small child inside of her... If her family had seen this... Her mother, her father, her two sisters... When she lost them all she truly believed she would never have a family again. And there she was, crying tears of joy at the sound of her baby's heart...

Bill's firm grip returned her to reality. She looked up to him, and found his silly smile and watery eyes, looking from the monitor to her. _'Not _my_ baby. _Our_ baby. Our little miracle.'_ Laura squeezed his hand and smiled at him.

"Young lady, everything's fine. Remember, you must rest your hours, right? And I'm changing your medication for your morning sickness; see if it works better... Remember to come same time next week for your analysis."

"I will try to make her rest" said Bill. "Thank you, Jack. Could you give us a couple of minutes? We need to do some talking." Cottle just nodded and left, closing the curtains after him.

When they were alone, Laura looked into Bill's eyes. There, she found the same spark of joy she knew hers' had. It was completely real now. They were having a baby, together. Bill surprised her by doing something he hadn't dared to until that moment. He brought one of his hands to rest on top of her still flat belly. Laura smiled sweetly at him and covered his hand with hers. He, amused, noticed how her abdomen wasn't as flat and soft as he remembered. It had already started to swell and soon it would start to show in the eyes of some careful observant. Maybe it was just his impression. It didn't really matter.

"Maybe it's time we start thinking about the future" Laura told him with a big grin settled in her lips.


	4. IV

**IV. **

That night, after having heard their child's heartbeat for the first time, Bill and Laura did something they had never done before; they actually slept _together_, not just in the same bed. Once they were under the sheets, Bill came closer to her and placed his hands to her belly, caressing it with all his sweetness and affection. She adjusted herself to his position, letting him hug her from behind, a broad smile never leaving her lips. Their bodies fit perfectly.

Was Laura happy? Yes, she was. In fact, more than she ever had expected. She had left behind the idea of having a child of her own a long ago, even way before turning forty. She had always liked children; she enjoyed being a teacher and being with her students, but she couldn't imagine herself as a mother. Now, some of the ideas she had stood for during most of her life were being destroyed. She was really excited about all that was happening.

She had always liked Bill. He was an honourable man, he knew how to deal with his responsibilities, he loved his people and she knew that he could be caring and sweet. He loved his family. They were really alike, more than either of them would ever want to acknowledge. He was her dearest friend. In the past they had helped each other to satisfy their physical needs, but their friendship always remained.

At that moment, feeling his child growing inside of her and feeling his arms hug her she didn't know if what they shared could be classified as only a friendship anymore.

Bill couldn't be happier at the moment, hugging his Laura, feeling her heartbeat on his skin. Was she asleep? He couldn't be sure. All he could think of was how lucky he had gotten. It hadn't been planned, but he wouldn't trade the woman in his arms and the child she was carrying for anything in the world. Nothing did matter now they were together. He would fight all the odds against them. He would be there for the two of them, no matter what happened.

Did he love her? He cared much more about Laura then he ever cared about his former wife. Nobody had ever been more important for him that the woman he was holding between his arms. Was it love? He couldn't tell. How could one be sure of something like that? He had always felt that way towards her. They might have fought in the past, but he always felt an utter respect and admiration towards her. Laura was an intelligent and strong woman. He had once been about to lose her, and nothing had ever frightened him more.

It had been a long since Laura had been able to fall asleep with such ease. She soon forgot about where she was and found herself in familiar surroundings. She wasn't feeling Bill's warmth anymore. Instead, she was at the Opera House.

.

_It was all dark, light only coming from what she knew was the door of the big auditorium. She was alone, silence surrounding her, eating the light away. She looked around her, sensing something was changing. Slowly, the walls started glowing with golden light, coming from nowhere. The soft, red carpet under her feet looked brighter. _

_Suddenly, she heard a child's laughter. _

_Hera._

_She started chasing her, guided only by the sound, at the same time feeling herself growing heavier at each step. She followed the little girl through the endless corridors, catching a glimpse of Hera from time to time. _

_She saw Athena reach for her daughter. _

_Now, it was her turn. She somehow got to Hera and held her for a few seconds. Then, the girl vanished into thin air. _

_Laura looked towards the auditorium's door. It was opened, and a blinding light came from it. A Six and a man stepped out of it. Hera ran towards them. The Six held the girl in her arms. The big heavy doors closed. _

_All the light faded, leaving Laura in an absolute darkness. She felt her belly swelling, growing heavier, and fuller. _

_She was petrified, unable to move, unable to see anything. She panted, looking for air, feeling asphyxiated, somehow knowing what would come next._

_All of a sudden, she felt a sharp pain in her lower abdomen; a long deep pain that forced her to her knees. _

_Then, light came. A blinding light. She was surrounded by it, overwhelmed by it. It didn't let her see anything. This light filled her, wrapped all her made her forget about the pain.  
_

_Suddenly, it started to fade. _

_As she was able to start making out shapes she heard a small cry, a baby's cry, coming from everywhere. She could not place its origin. _

_After some time, she was able to see properly. She had to find out where the cry was coming from. _

_It was calling her. It was meant for her, only for her. _

_She closed her eyes, trying to find the source. Suddenly it was clear; it was coming from right in front of her. When she opened __her eyes__, she saw a small cradle and a blonde woman standing by it._

.

Laura woke up covered in cold sweat, gasping for air. Bill was still hugging her; she was still in his bed. It had only been a dream, she was alright. She rested her head in the pillow and closed her eyes, trying to fall asleep again. It was still too soon to wake up.

She shivered at the memory of her dream, of the darkness and the deep pain. It wasn't the first time she had that dream, it had been recurrent for the last few weeks. But she had always woken to the pain. This time, she had been allowed to see more. The blinding light, the cry, the cradle, the blonde woman. She couldn't find a meaning to it all. It confused her.

Bill had felt her moving towards the end of her dream, it had awakened him. He felt her stiffening and then gasping for air. After a while, her body relaxed. He was almost sure it was one of her dreams, one of those she always had. Suddenly, she moved. Laura was awake.

Without thinking, his hands still hugging her belly, he rose his head from his pillow and kissed lightly her bare shoulder. Laura felt her skin melting under his lips. Without even thinking, her hands moved over Bill's ones, covering them, tightening his embrace. Laura was feeling safe.


	5. V

**V.**

After weeks of preparation for Baltar's trial, it had finally started. Bill had been appointed as one of the members of the tribunal, along with four other commanders of ships. It was his work to be there; it didn't matter if he hated it, he had to do it. Listening to both the lawyers and the witnesses called to testify brought him memories of New Caprica. Memories of the wonderful things that started there. And guilt; guilt for jumping away, for leaving his people behind for four months, for leaving Laura behind.

He didn't want to be sitting there. He just wanted to be at his quarters with her; he wanted them to be at _their_ quarters. He was happy when they were alone. He enjoyed having her around him, talking with her, putting things back in their place when she left them where they didn't belong, being able to place his hands in her belly, noticing how it was slowly growing. Nobody knew about it yet. They decided to announce it once the trial was over. Then, she would officially move in with him. The fact that they had already been living together for three weeks wasn't relevant. Nobody didn't need to know it. They all thought she was staying in some guest quarters.

But the trial was far from finishing. For more than a week he had been forced to sit there, to watch her sitting far from him and listen their people testify.

And then there was Lee's issue. He was sitting next to Baltar and his lawyer. It felt like betrayal. Lee, always on the side of the right and justice. His own, of course. Bill just hoped his son would see his mistake before it was too late. They had even argued a couple of evenings before.

.

Laura had a busy schedule. She had to spend her mornings in the courtroom, taking in Baltar's bullshit, having to remember New Caprica and what happened there. Then, she had to resume with her duties as President. _'At least the trial allows me to bring all the job over to Galactica. Imagine having to take constant shuttles from Galactica to Colonial One...'_ She had a meeting with her vice-President, Tom Zarek. While the trial was on he was doing some of her work.

"... and so I think a quick meeting with the Quorum would be our best option. We answer their questions and let them vote over it." said Zarek. "I can handle it myself, Madam President." The man looked at her with a grin. He was surely enjoying doing part of her work, even if it was just temporary.

"No. I don't believe it is our best option. It's just the easiest one. This matter should be resolved inside our office. Then, we'll inform the Quorum about the decision made." Laura closed the files she had been reading and left them on her provisional desk. She took off her glasses and closed her eyes while her fingers moved to her temples, trying to make her small headache and nausea go away. After a few seconds, she opened her eyes again and looked at Zarek. "Did you want anything else?"

"No" he replied quickly. "Well... Actually, yes. Madame President, maybe you should let me handle this. I don't want to intrude, but I've noticed your weariness lately..."

Laura just gave him an icy glare and put back her glasses. "Thanks for your concern, Mister Vice-President" she said with sarcasm. "But I think I've still got the last word. We're going to deal with that matter tomorrow. That's all."

Zarek knew he wouldn't get anything from her that day no matter how hard he tried, so he stood from his chair. "Madam President" he said as a dismissal. When he was about to head out of the room, he remembered he forgot to inform her of one of his meetings that morning and turned to her again. "Oh, before it leaves my mind..." he stopped talking as he noticed the expression on her face and one of her hands over her mouth, as trying to prevent her from throwing up. "Are... Are you alright, ma'am?"

Laura closed her eyes and remained in silence for a few seconds. "Yes" she said as she opened her eyes. "Yes, I'm fine. It's just... something I ate this morning didn't settle properly. It's given me a hell of a morning." She lied. Her nausea had been bothering her all the day, and she had been having trouble with it during the whole length of their meeting. "It's nothing. In a few hours it will vanish. You were saying...?"

Zarek looked at her, trying to analyze her. Laura had put on her presidential mask just when she noticed Zarek had turned, so he wasn't able to read anything. "If you say so... But I'd recommend you to pay a visit to Dr. Cottle. What I was saying can wait until tomorrow. Just boring meetings with the Picon representatives."

When Zarek left, Laura was happy to have him out of sight. That man was too curious for his own good. He'd probably try to dig into her health condition, hoping to find some juicy material. Luckily, even with his sources, he wouldn't be able to find out about her secret. Apart from her and Bill, only Cottle and Tory knew about her condition.

The truth was Laura hadn't allowed herself to enjoy her pregnancy yet. She was afraid that if she did it, it would somehow leak out, and she had work to do; lots of it. She had a Fleet to take care of. More than 40,000 souls she had to think of before making any decision. She didn't have much time to do anything else, especially with the trial going on. At least her new sleeping arrangements had enabled her to spend more time with Bill. They shared the same quarters, the same bed. They went to bed and slept together, they had breakfast and dinner together, but both of them were always tired. At night they were exhausted from work and on the morning they had to rush in order to attend to their duties.

She hadn't taken time to really look at her adapting body; she hadn't noticed how it was slowly changing. Each morning she tried to hide any possible sign, to make it unnoticeable. She wore loose blouses and left her jackets open. A week ago she had to put aside two of her skirts and a couple of days ago one of her trousers. They were too tight for her now. She knew her baby was growing and that her pregnancy would soon start to show, but she avoided thinking about it.

She only had time for the Fleet and for the trial. The tiny amount of free time she had left, she spent it trying to figure out how to face the future. Soon her pregnancy would be evident and she would have to deal with the Quorum and the Fleet. She also tried to understand what was between her and Bill; her friend, her child's father. Were they just friends? No, they were more than that. But, what? They were good friends. She trusted him more than anyone. She could be herself with him, just _Laura_. He was her confident. They understood each other, they had similar interests. They knew what they needed. Ever since the Groundbreaking Day in New Caprica they had been tending their most primary needs together from time to time. They were much more than just friends. But they were neither lovers nor partners. What were they?

Laura didn't know the answer, and that didn't please her. She liked having everything under control. Her thoughts confused her. She enjoyed their time together, she loved being with him. Sometimes, she imagined being with him; without pressures or responsibilities. She imagined what would have happened if she hadn't been the President and he hadn't been the Admiral, if they didn't have to answer to the Fleet, to their people.

The thought it was actually a part of him what was growing inside of her made her daydream. It hadn't been planed, she had never even thought of it, but she wouldn't change it for anything in the world. _Love_. Could it all be that simple, just 'love'? She loved her baby but, did she feel something similar for Bill? She wasn't sure of her feelings anymore.

And what did Bill feel for her? What did he think of it all? Accepting her in his life, having her in his quarters, sleeping in the same bed, embracing her in her sleep, having a child together. He was caring with her; he did all he could to make her comfortable. He let her have her space, he didn't force her to talk about things she didn't want to. Was she just a friend for him? Was she something more? Bill, the honourable man. Was he doing it all just because he was the child's father and it was the 'right thing'?


	6. VI

**VI. **

The following day Bill had to see how Romo Lampkin, Baltar's lawyer, played with Saul. His best friend, who was like a brother to him. It had been painful seeing him there, talking about the Cylon occupation, about Ellen, about the hell they had to endure there. Later, also Gaeta was asked to testify. Bill hated having to be there. He had already wasted more than a week sitting there, listening to Baltar's frakking bullshit. He was tired of it.

Just as they had expected, Laura had also been asked to testify. As soon as she sat in the witness chair, she looked at him for an instant, unconsciously bringing one of her hands to rest on her belly. Bill had to suppress the broad smile that was threatening to appear in his mouth. She was gorgeous.

"We're waiting, Mr. Lampkin" said Franks, the member of the jury who sat next to Bill, as Lee and Lampkin were talking amidst whispers.

"If it'd please the court, my associate, Mr. Adama, will question the witness." Bill had to bite his tongue to keep from cursing. Lee was going to question Laura?

Lee stood up and walked towards the witness stand. Laura had a bad feeling about it. She tried her best to separate this _Mr. Adama_ from the _Captain Apollo_ she used to know. It wasn't going to be a smooth road.

"Madam President, aren't you alive today because of Gaius Baltar?"

As she heard Lee's words she tried her best to keep her Presidential mask on and not drop her mouth open. _'How dare he...?_' She looked at him and replied quickly "I'm alive today because the insurgents managed to stop the execution."

"Well, they saved you from a Cylon firing squad, but...wasn't it Baltar who saved your life when you were dying from cancer?" Cassidy, the other lawyer, tried to stop Lee. Laura's firm gaze never left the young man's eyes. She didn't like what he was doing. He was using their old familiarity against her, in front of a room full of civilians and people from the press. She felt exposed, but she wasn't going to let Lee notice it. "Um... did Gaius Baltar save your life when you were dying from cancer?" Lee asked again.

Laura nodded. "Dr. Baltar's scientific knowledge did save my life indeed." She was able see Lee was actually nervous, she could tell his hands were sweating.

"Can you be more specific? How did he save your life on that occasion?"

He knew it well... He knew what he was doing, and Laura knew what answering to that question would mean. "He injected me with the blood of a half-Cylon, half-human baby."

The room quickly started murmuring. She could listen the whispers, she almost felt the journalists holding their microphones closer to her, trying to get more information, wanting more confessions.

"And your cancer vanished" Lee simply said. He had been around there, he knew what happened, but apparently he decided to put her through all that. He was giving the press new juicy material; information that would end up biting her. She didn't like where he was leading the questioning.

"Completely." Her brows raised and she nodded. There wasn't any other possible answer.

"During your illness, what sort of medication were you on?"

He was trying to bring her to talk about the chamalla. She chose to try playing dumb. "You know, I was taking a lot of medications at the time, and I don't remember all their names." She hadn't lied. She barely remembered the name of the medications she took. She tried to erase that concrete aspect of her life, the cancer, of her memory.

"Did you take something called chamalla extract?"

Laura gave him a small smirk. She hadn't been wrong. "Yes." The room was again filled with whispers. _'They must be enjoying it, knowing all their President's little dirty secrets.'_

"Isn't it true that one of the side effects of taking chamalla is a propensity to experience hallucinations?"

"Yes, that is one of the possible side effects of chamalla." She was starting to get nervous. Lee was already crossing the line.

"And isn't it also true that the visions that you once described as messages from the Gods were actually the result of a pharmacological reaction from taking chamalla?"

Perfect. Now he was questioning her role in the Pythian prophecy. "The chamalla did enable me to see certain things that were foretold by the scriptures. Things that will help this fleet find its way to Earth. You of all people should know that, Major." He had once believed in her.

Cassidy tried to stop Lee again, but he was granted another question. He came closer to Laura, who sat in the witness stand. She already knew what he was going to ask, and if she wasn't mistaken, she would be forced to tell her little secret. He wanted her to admit she was on drugs. He wanted to invalidate her testimony. She felt Bill's gaze upon the two of them. He was also aware where it all was leading to. His son was making a mistake, and he had no doubt Lee would regret it later.

When Lee was next to her, Laura looked into his eyes. "Please don't do this" she begged with a whisper. "Please." She felt how tears were threatening to fall down her cheeks. No. She wouldn't do that to herself.

"Madam President, are you taking chamalla at this time?" Lee's tone was serious, though she could notice how nervous he really was, how unsure of what he was doing.

"_Captain Apollo_. You remember that?" she said, ignoring his question, with a defensive smirk in her lips. "I always thought it had such a nice ring to it... I am so, so sorry for you now." She wasn't lying. It was true, she was sorry for him. She was sorry that he had done that, in front of everyone, not thinking about the consequences. She was sorry that she would have to give her secret away in such situation.

"Chamalla, Madam President" he continued. "Perhaps dissolved in your tea to mask the bitterness?" He had tasted the tea from the thermos Tory carried for her, then. The tea that contained the medication Dr. Cottle gave her for her nausea. Now she didn't have any other option. She would have to talk.

"Don't answer" Bill said in a severe tone. "I'm putting a stop to this right now." He was aware that she had been put between a rock and a hard place.

"Your honors, if she is on drugs, it goes to her credibility as a witness" Lee insisted.

"Witness is dismissed." Bill would not let him expose more Laura without trying to stop it.

"Your honors, I have to strongly object" Lampkin said. "He's obviously trying to cover something up here." Frakking lawyer... Did he want a medal or something?

"One more word from you, and you'll both be held for contempt." Bill replied.

"Admiral!" Franks said.

"I'd like to hear the witness answer the question" added another of the judges.

"As would I" replied Franks. Apparently everyone wanted to hear that answer. "Madam President, are you taking chamalla again?"

Laura looked at Bill for a moment and brushed one of her hands over her belly. She didn't have any other option than answering truthfully. She could feel all the room expecting her answer. She knew the trial was on the wireless, and all the Fleet would be listening to her words, but she didn't have any other option. She nodded. "Yes, I am" Tears were threatening to fall down her cheeks again. Yes, she was taking chamalla. Not chamalla extract; it was just a by-product of it, but it still was chamalla. The room started murmuring again. Everyone was looking at her. She couldn't let them think she was on drugs. "A by-product of chamalla extract, as prescribed by my doctor."

Lee looked at his father, and then at Laura. "No further questions." He was done. He had finished his job.

Laura wouldn't allow him to walk away without letting her explain herself. She looked at Bill, who nodded at her, giving his approval. Even if they had decided to hold the news for some more time, now was the right moment. If she didn't do it then, she would never be able to do it. "Mr. Adama, aren't you going to ask me why?"

Lee was almost sitting when he heard Laura. "I'm sorry?" He was confused.

"Why am I taking chamalla again?" Her voice was steady, yet a tear ran down her cheek while she talked. It was being difficult. More than she had thought it would be. She had never liked to share her private life with strangers, and a pregnancy was a pretty personal matter.

"It's not strictly relevant." Definitely, Lee was confused. He had _won_. She had admitted taking chamalla and yet he was feeling like he had been the looser.

"Well, perhaps it's not relevant to you, but it's relevant to me" for her it was like talking with one of her former students. "Go ahead. Ask me why. Finish what you started" she challenged him. She _deserved_ the opportunity to explain herself. At that moment Lee wasn't much more than a stubborn teenager, trying to prove her she was wrong. Trying to make everyone see her dark secrets.

"Why are you taking the chamalla again, Madam President?" Lee asked her at her request.

Laura took of her glasses and looked first at Lee and then at the whole room. "I am taking chamalla again under the doctor's prescription. A by-product of it." She took a deep breath. "Because I am pregnant."

She had dropped the bomb. The room was silent for a few seconds. Suddenly, she started hearing the sound of the flashes, of the journalists asking questions loudly, of people expressing their disbelief. She forced herself not to look at Bill. Instead, she fixed her eyes at Lee, who was looking at her with his mouth wide-open, unable to process what she had just said. Definitely, he had lost. He had been the looser.

Her escort quickly took her out of the courtroom and brought her to Bill's quarters, far from curious eyes. Everyone knew it now. She would be forced to give a press conference and to answer to the Quorum. She would have to face everyone's wondering looks... But it wasn't what was bothering her at that moment. All she could think of right then was how much she needed Bill holding her tight and telling her everything would be alright.


	7. VII

**VII. **

When Bill got to his quarters he found Laura lying on the couch, staring at the ceiling, totally absent. She didn't move of say anything. He raised her legs and sat on the couch, next to her, letting her legs rest upon him.

"Hi" she said with almost a whisper, sill staring at the ceiling.

"Hi, mommy" Bill replied using his sweetest voice. He was sure that morning had been difficult for her and it hadn't finished yet. This moments were only her 'free time'. "You've left them with their mouths wide-open, huh?" Laura closed her eyes and hummed. "They will want to know more about their pregnant President."

Laura smiled faintly. "Oh, I bet they will want _all_ the details... Later I'll go to Colonial One and I'll let them make their questions. Now, I just want to rest for a little while..."

Bill heard her stomach rumbling and noticed her blushing slightly. "You're starving right?" Laura didn't open her eyes, she just nodded. "Lunch will be here in a few minutes."

Laura opened her eyes and looked at him in silence for a moment. Then, she breathed heavily. "It was still too soon. This is not how it was meant to happen... They don't believe it, do they?"

"They don't" he said matter-of-factly. "But, hey, it's not that strange. Imagine someone told you six months ago you would be pregnant right now. Would you have believed them? What would you have done to them?"

"I wouldn't have believed them. I'd have told them to go for a check with Cottle and to mind their own frakking business." She tried to stay serious, but once she finished she couldn't keep her giggles.

Bill chuckled at her reaction. "That's my Laura." He caressed one of her calves and she smiled at him, letting her head drop against the couch again and closing her eyes.

It was done. She didn't have to hide her condition anymore. "Does this mean we'll have to rush things?" she asked him, not expecting his answer. Both of them knew exactly what it meant. "The Quorum will believe themselves in the right to give their opinion and put their own rules... You know that, don't you? I don't think they'll like the idea of their President having a child with the Admiral of the Fleet. Their unmarried, middle-aged, female President. A former teacher..."

"Shush... It's going to be alright" he said while drawing patterns with his fingers in her calf. "Don't worry. Once they put their rules, we'll see if we agree to play by them... But they know they can't replace us, so I don't think we'll have too many problems."

* * *

Laura got to Colonial One right after her lunch with Bill. By the time she arrived there, the press was already gathered at the press room. The sooner it started, the sooner it would be over and the sooner she would be able to go back to Galactica.

Just as she had thought, all the questions were related to her pregnancy. This press conference was going to become something more like tabloid press.

"Madam President, how long have you known about the pregnancy?" asked one of the journalists.

"Long enough for having it more than confirmed by the doctor" she replied as if she was at class, talking with one of her students.

"And how far along are you?" asked another journalist.

"Uh, who is the father?" asked a third reporter, not even allowing her to answer the other question.

Laura wasn't surprised; this were the kind of questions she had expected. However, she wasn't going to answer them. They were way too much personal. "You know, this are the kind of details I'm not gonna go into now. You know, there will be plenty of time. I'll let you know when the right time comes."

"Well, how will your condition impact your duties as president?"

"So far, it hasn't at all" Laura replied with a smile. Maybe it wasn't completely true, considering how the morning-sickness and exhaustion had been affecting her. Luckily, they were almost gone.

"Why were you taking the chamalla by-product? And, is your cancer back?"

"My doctor prescribed it to ease the symptoms of pregnancy. It doesn't have any of the side effects of the chamalla extract, though. And to your second question, no. Cancer isn't back."

"Is the kid going to have a father?" a journalist asked.

"Don't answer that" Tory almost barked, standing next to her.

"Is it the Admiral?" another journalist suggested.

"All right, enough of this crap" Tory replied. "We're done here."

Laura could not believe her aide was doing that. "Tory!" she told her, looking into her eyes, trying to stop her from opening her mouth again.

"You vultures can go pick over another carcass" her aide said to the press. Laura couldn't allow her behaviour, so she sent her inside.

"I'm sorry" said Laura with a smile on her lips. "Temperatures are running a little high in the fleet these days. Who's next? Karen" she looked at the blonde journalist raising her hand.

"Madam President. Who will take your place when you won't be able to fulfil your duties?" Karen asked her.

"Look" Laura said releasing a sigh. "I'm going to do my job until I can't. There are several candidates that are being considered. Once the decision is made, you'll be informed." She made a pause. "I would like to thank all of you for your interest. We will talk again soon."

And with that last words Laura left the conference room and headed to the raptor that was going to bring her back to Galactica. There she found Tory already waiting for her.

"You handled that well" said Tory.

Laura wasn't in the mood to be ignoring her aide's mistakes. "You didn't. '_Pick over another carcass?_' As opposed to mine? That's gonna look good in the press" she said pissed off.

"I… I don't even know why I said that." The young woman looked confused.

"What is up with you? You've been off your game for days. You're distracted. You're exhausted." Frak, if Laura couldn't trust her aide then, what was she going to do in the months to come? "You're just - you know, frankly, you're plain obnoxious."

"I just haven't been sleeping very well."

"You need to pull it together and focus on your job fast. Or I can find someone who can handle the press." She thought of Billy; young, sweet Billy. Maybe he wasn't as qualified as Tory, but he had never failed her. She had loved him as if he was her son, her only _family _since the attacks. He wouldn't have failed her. "This _can't_ happen again! I need you to be at your full capacity in these months to come, do you understand? I'll need you to be my ears and eyes where I won't be able to get myself. This _can't _happen. I have to be able to trust you."

Tory looked at her feet. "Yes, Madam..." She made a pause. "The – the Quorum has sent a petition for a meeting tomorrow after the trial, aboard Colonial One."

Laura wasn't in the mood of talking with Tory, so she just nodded. She had failed her. She hadn't been able to keep her restraint.

They soon arrived at Galactica again. Once she stepped her foot in the deck, Laura felt everybody's gaze upon her. All of the Fleet had heard or watched the trial, and she was sure most of them had tuned in for the press conference. Bill meet her in the corridors, and the gazes upon them became even more evident. The question wasn't who believed Bill was the father, it was rather who hadn't reached that conclusion yet.

Once they were alone in his quarters, Laura started talking. "The Quorum has set a meeting for tomorrow. They haven't wasted a minute..."

Bill looked at her in the eye. "I've heard the press conference today... I know it's been hard. Do you want me to be there tomorrow?"

"No, Bill. I have to deal with it myself." She cracked a smile. "Don't worry, it won't be harder than today."


	8. VIII

**VIII. **

Although the trial was almost nearing its end it was Laura and not Baltar who was getting everybody's attention. Everyone had heard about it the previous day, all of them wanted to know more about it and most of them still thought it was all a mere lie and that their President had turned crazy. She heard people's whispers, their glares upon her, their curiosity. While she sat in the courtroom she felt everybody's eyes going from the President to the Admiral, both of them making all possible efforts to keep their eyes away from each other.

After the end of that day's session, Laura took a raptor to Colonial One. She would have to face the Quorum in a few hours, and she needed to eat, have some rest and relax before that. So, once the raptor landed, she got to her quarters there, where a light lunch was already waiting for her.

Meanwhile, Bill found himself finishing a quick meeting with the other judges. They would be giving the verdict of the trial later that week. After that little meeting, he went to his quarters. He needed some time for himself. He had lunch, and after it, he went to his bathroom, full of Laura's things. Her shampoo, her comb, her towels, her toothbrush; all of them mixed with his own things. He couldn't remember a time when his rooms weren't filled with her scent and her belongings; it was as if she'd always been living with him.

While staring at his reflection in the mirror he started to think about the changes his life had experienced during the last month and the changes it would experience from that moment on. Looking at himself in the mirror he could not help but start wondering how their child would look like, hoping he or she would take after Laura. A miniature version of Laura, that's how he imagined their child would be.

Bill was disappointed with Lee. He was hurt. Lee should have noticed he was making a huge mistake trying to make Laura admit she was under drugs, exposing some of her secrets, sharing details about her personal life with the whole Fleet. Without being aware of it, his son had forced Laura to give away her secret and had turned her into one of the attractions of the trial. He had wanted to expose Laura when the truth was she was going to be his little step-sibling's mother.

After a few minutes of staring into his own eyes, Bill decided to shave. The lights flickered and he made himself a small cut in the neck. "Frak me." Suddenly, his phone ringed. He got it and brought it to his ear.

"I'm in my bed in Colonial One" a feminine voice blurted out even before Bill could open his mouth. "I've taken a nap... I had forgotten how wonderful it feels sleeping at this time of the day! You should try it sometime..." Laura, surrounded by darkness inside her small bed in Colonial One, smiled. "I can't get myself to get up... Yell at me. I don't want to get out of bed."

Her voice was serious, but Bill found himself smiling "Well, you called the wrong number. I was just thinking about going back to bed." His day had been long and he didn't want to deal with anything more. A little bit of sleep sounded great. Maybe he would consider her nap suggestion later, once they finished their conversation.

"You feeling okay?" Laura wondered. She knew how Bill felt about Lee and his actions the previous day. It was consuming him.

"Says the pregnant mamma" Bill felt that made her smile. He tried to stop the bleeding of his cut. "Yeah, I'm fine. I just cut myself. How are you doing?"

Laura brought the sheets closer to her body. "The Quorum. I don't want to face them. I don't want to face any of them. I just want to stay in bed all day and sleep."

"I think I stopped the bleeding..." he nearly whispered. "If you still need to be yelled at, I think I can give you some volume."

"Okay" this surely was amusing her. "All right, give it your best shot."

Bill left his razor in the sink. "Get out of that bed!" he didn't put all his intention in the shout and he was sure she would notice it.

Laura, still inside her bed, was clearly amused. "That's not your best shot."

Bill smiled at her words and sobered himself up before trying again, this time with much more intention. "Get your fat, lazy ass out of that rack, Roslin!"

"Yes, sir. Okay, sir. Anything you say, sir" she paused for a second before starting to talk again. "Thank you."

"Don't let 'em see you sweat, Laura. Good luck."

Laura hanged the phone among giggles. With renewed energy, she got up and put back into her clothes. Phoning Bill had been the right decision. Now, she was prepared to face anybody who dared to cross her path. As she entered the conference room she felt all the eyes on her. She had made them wait for her. After all, being the President had its benefits.

Before any of the members of the Quorum was able to speak, she greeted them and started to talk, trying to answer as many questions as possible before being actually asked. "I believe all of us know the reason behind this meeting. Yesterday, during the trial against Gaius Baltar I was asked to testify as a witness. During my testimony I was drawn to reveal my condition. Some questions were asked and answered during the press conference with the press; those which remained unanswered will be addressed at the right time." She looked at each and every one of the Delegates and eventually she looked at Zarek. Ever since New Caprica they had somehow been allies, but she didn't know if things had changed. He was still her Vice-President. If he wasn't on her side in all that, he might end up being a real threat. "However, I'm not going to make any apologies. My private life is exactly that; private."

"Madame President" said the delegate from Gemenon. The other delegates had appointed her as their spokesperson. "First of all, we all want to congratulate you on your pregnancy. We understand it is part of your private life and we don't have the authority to interfere. Yet, you must understand that given your position we need to get some things straight." Laura nodded; she knew exactly what would be coming next. "As the President of the Twelve Colonies, Madam, you must be an example for the people of the Fleet. We can't let the President have a child out-of-wedlock." There it was. The Quorum couldn't do anything about her pregnancy and given their past they wouldn't even think of making her resign; the Fleet wanted her doing the job. Having Zarek as President wasn't an option. So now they had to make an exemplar citizen out of their President through marriage. "Our request is that this matter is resolved as soon as possible. We want you to marry the father of the child as soon as possible; accelerate the process..."

Laura understood their petition. It was just what she had expected, so she only got one question for them. "How much?"

"Two weeks at the maximum, Madame President" said Zarek, who stood by her side. '_Two weeks? Frak them. They want me to marry Bill in two weeks?_' Laura just nodded. She thought they would've given her more time, but she couldn't complain. "And... we've assumed you'll be moving to Galactica permanently after the wedding." Laura nodded again. _'So they've just assumed Bill is the father? And they haven't said anything about it? Things might be easier than we thought._'


	9. IX

**IX. **

After the meeting with the Quorum finished, Laura went to her quarters and packed most of the things she still had there. She took all her clothes, her books and photographs; Bill had made room for all her belongings in his quarters. He had even found a nearby room she would be able to turn into her new office; now the Quorum had given their approbation, she would move her office to Galactica. Only important meetings would still be held at Colonial One. Her life was now abroad Galactica.

With the help of her security detail, she brought the things she packed to Bill's quarters. _'No, it's our quarters now'_ Laura corrected herself.

Bill opened the hatch and dismissed the marines. "We can manage ourselves from here." He helped Laura bring in all her things. He had noticed her smile. _'The Quorum must have behaved properly, then_' he thought, amused. "How's it gone?" he asked her with a genuine grin in his lips.

Laura's smile grew even wider. "Great. I think you'll be pleased to know that I'm officially moving in with you." Bill seemed happy with the news. "And, uh-huh... They've talked of me having to be a role model for my people and all of that... You know, they think the President having a child out-of-wedlock would be a scandal. And because they can't stop me from having the child and they need both of us doing our jobs, they want us to marry" She looked at him in the eye, uncertain of what was in his mind. "Is that okay with you?" Laura was nervous. _'Have you really just _proposed_ to Bill like this? Great, Laura. How romantic... He should decline it. He's already doing enough; I can't force him to marry me.'_ She sighed and stared into his dark blue eyes, blushing slightly. "If you want to, of course. I mean, we don't have to do it if you don't want to..."

Bill could easily see Laura was a mess. "But I want to do it, Laura" he gave her his most genuine smile again, the only kind of smile he was capable of doing when she was around. "And I think both of us already knew this would have to be done..." he bit his tongue. _'For frak's shake, Bill, now you're talking as if you really didn't want to do it...' _He shook his head. "I mean... this response was what we were expecting, wasn't it?"

Laura had to bit her cheek to prevent herself from getting a fit of giggles. It was all being very awkward; both her and Bill trying to say the right thing, trying not to hurt the other's feelings. In that kind of situations, she always got the awkward response from her body, a fit of unstoppable giggles, which always made the situation even more awkward and weird. No, she wouldn't let that happen. She made a deep breath before opening her mouth. "So, we're going to do it?" Yes, it had been a poor way to get away with it, but it worked.

"If you're in, then I'm in" he answered smiling to her once again. "Then they've just assumed I'm the father?" Laura nodded. _'I never thought we were that transparent... If everyone has just assumed that, then we are. I guess there must have been even bets out there. But, the truth's there aren't many other options out there. Maybe Zarek? No, anybody would truly believe it. Saul? Cottle? Someone from the Quorum? Impossible. It's normal they've all reached the right answer...'_

Laura looked at him, still nervous. "They've given us two weeks to do it."

"Two weeks?" Okay, he had expected the Quorum to make the two of them marry, but giving them a two weeks deadline... "So it looks like we've got tons of work to do..."

Laura smiled. "Yeah, just add it to the list. They want to avoid creating a scandal. I think they don't want the pregnancy to be too evident-"

"Then they're already late" he cut her off. "Because you've already starting to show... And clothes won't hide it for much longer. I've seen the skirts and trousers you've already casted away" he said with a sweet tone.

"No, I have not, William Adama. Those skirts and trousers were very, _very_ tight..." she said pouting. Laura turned around and sat in the couch. "Anyway, have you talked to Lee?"

Bill immediately looked at her. "No" he almost grunted. He was still hurt and angry with his son. He had even returned him his pilot pins.

Laura patted the spot in the couch next to her. Bill sat beside her, stiffened. "Bill... You have to talk with him, you're his father. What he did wasn't... wise... I am the first who didn't like it, okay? I'm sure he didn't mean to hurt. He just... didn't think."

Bill stared at her, judging her. "He wanted you to admit in front of _everyone_ that you were on drugs!"

"But I _am not_, so no damage is done!" She knew it wasn't completely true. What had happened also hurt her; she had trusted Lee. But she couldn't allow father and son to be at odds again. "He's your son, Bill. He's our child's brother. I don't want my child to grow up watching how his father and his brother are resented with each other about the past" Bill looked at her. Okay, she had a point. "You know him and so do I. He regrets what he did, but he won't come to apologize if nobody pushes him to. Kara isn't here anymore and Dee is as resented with him as the two of us. They won't be pushing him, Bill" She paused and looked right into his eyes. "It has to be you. You must do the first step."

Bill looked at Laura. She was up to something, he was almost sure of it. Suddenly, he heard the sound of the hatch opening. "What have you done?"

"Admiral," a young man's voice said, entering through the hatch "they told me you wanted to see me..." his voice trailed off when he noticed Laura sitting beside Bill.

"I know you, William Adama" she whispered to Bill. "I know you wouldn't make the first step, so on my way here I made sure to do it myself."

Bill looked at her. She was somewhat amused, like a player who sees how the game is going as planned. He wanted to be angry at her for intruding in his relationship with Lee, but he wasn't able. She was right. If it were for him, they wouldn't have talked or seen each other for months. Both of them were too stubborn and proud. Like father, like son.

"Madame President. Admiral" Lee said, without moving from his spot. Bill caught one of Laura's hands in his'. If she was there both of them would control themselves, they wouldn't let their anger dominate them. Laura felt how Bill stiffened by her side. "Uh-huh... I don't know what to say Madam." Lee was looking at the floor, unable to look at her. "I – I regret what happened yesterday. Had I known-"

"Sit" Laura told him cutting him off. Lee sat in a nearby armchair, in front of the two of them. _'Damn _–he thought- _the two of them together like this are scary...'_. Laura sighed heavily and looked at him. "Lee, you surely know I don't like what you did yesterday and I'll probably never understand the reason behind it, but... All I wish is to go on with our lives and forget it ever happened." She looked at Bill for a second; his face was completely void of emotion. "You did what you thought was right at the moment, I guess." She looked at Lee again. "From now on, I'll need you to do the _wise_ thing, not the _right _one. I know if you do so I'll be able to trust you."

"Madam President..." Lee was confused.

"Laura, please" she cut him. "You can call me Laura." Her smile widened. Her little game had been going as planned until then and there were some pieces still had to come into play.

"Laura... I don't think I'm following you."

"Well, due to my pregnancy I might be unable to fulfil all my duties as President in the months to come. I _need_ someone I can trust, someone close, to do the job. I think you're the right man for the job, Lee." Clearly, none of the Adama men had seen it coming. Both of them had their mouths wide-open in surprise. "You don't have to answer yet, of course. Give me an answer as soon as possible tough, just in case I have to start looking for somebody else."

Laura was good at reading people. Lee was stunned; he had never even thought about something like this. But deep down she could see he was seriously considering that option and he didn't find it unpleasant at all. She looked from Lee to Bill. Unsurprisingly, he was even more rigid than before. She hadn't told him anything about her decision. In fact, she hadn't told anybody. Not even Tory. Bill surely didn't understand the reasons behind it. He might even feel angry or betrayed, but she was sure he would understand it once he made peace with his son. Lee was the right man for the job. He had something any other candidate could ever achieve: he was family. He had always been in some way, ever since the attacks, but now it was more real than ever.

Lee looked from his father to Laura, still surprised. After what he did at the trial he didn't think she would trust him anymore. Even Dee was angry with him. His father had been the one who looked more upset. He had only done it to piss him off, to take revenge on him by hurting the person he cared most about. What he had done wasn't right; he regretted it the moment he saw a lone tear crawling down Laura's cheek, but he hadn't been able to stop it. He had to make things right, specially now he had been given an opportunity. It was his fault the whole Fleet knew about it all. And he knew the only way to amend things with his father would be by swallowing his pride and apologising.

"I'm – I'm sorry" Lee looked at his father, whose mask seemed to crack a little. "I'm sorry. I didn't think about the consequences, I only wanted to prove you were wrong... But you were right, I have no integrity. I acted before thinking, before asking of looking for consistent answers... I'm glad I was wrong." Lee made a long pause and watched how his father took his eyes from him to Laura. Bill squeezed her hand and she smiled in return, bringing her free hand over her belly, protectively. Lee just wondered how he had been so blind, how he hadn't been able to connect the dots. "I – I wanted to congratulate you, both of you."

The room fell silent. Laura smiled to both Adamas while Lee looked at her and Bill stared into the empty space. "Thank you, Lee" Laura said after some time. Somehow, they were going to be a family. They were going to make it work. She squeezed Bill's hand harder, reassuring him that everything was fine.

"We're marrying in two weeks" Bill nearly blurted out. "The Quorum has requested us to hurry things along."

Lee was surprised again. He had never expected his father to marry again after he divorced his mother. However, his father wasn't the man who welcomed him to Galactica anymore and Laura had been the one to change him. "I will be glad to be there if you want me to."


	10. X

**X.**

She _had_ to toss Gaius Baltar out of a frakking airlock. This had been her one and only craving ever since she became pregnant and knew the man was still alive. She fantasized about grabbing him by his beard, getting him to an airlock and allowing herself to do the honours. She would push the button herself and she would watch the space reclaiming him. Then, she would be able to sleep peacefully, knowing that the man wouldn't hurt anyone else.

Saying that Laura Roslin was pissed off wouldn't do justice to what she had been feeling since she heard the two words: "_not guilty"_. Once the judge said them she immediately turned her face into a mask to hide all her emotions. She was disappointed, angry and utterly tired; she felt like all of that had just been a little theatre play; she felt played with. The courtroom suddenly became oppressive. She needed air.

As soon as the man was dismissed, she left the room. She needed to release all her emotions, to let go all her frustration. _'He allowed a genocide to happen, for frak's sake! He saw how the Cylons killed his people and turned his back to it. He signed death sentences; he signed _my_ death sentence. He saw all the names in the list and did nothing to stop it.'_

Laura was feeling uneasy. She had been sure Baltar would be found guilty, that's why she allowed the trial to take place. Instead, he had been released, he had been freed. He had been allowed to get away with all his crimes without punishment. She was sure he wasn't done yet, they would soon be hearing from him again.

She was pacing around their quarters, trying to calm herself. She needed Bill. Talking with him would ease her frustration; he always knew how to do it. But he was nowhere to be found, what meant he probably was in the CIC.

* * *

Bill was happy the trial was over, though the outcome didn't please him very much. He had been one of the three that voted for Baltar's acquittal, it was the only possible vote he could have given; Baltar's defense had won. He didn't regret his decision, he believed in justice. _'But that wasn't only about justice... Not for the people who were in New Caprica during the Cylon occupation. Not for Laura. She won't approve my decision. I bet she believes I was one of the two who voted against Baltar. She won't be pleased if she knows the truth. She's not objective when it comes to Baltar. But, how could she? She saw how her people were being murdered, put into jail; she had nearly been killed. She had lived four months under the Cylon occupation, seeing how Baltar didn't stand up for his people, how he let them do what they wanted. His life had also been threatened, but Laura will never see it, and I can't blame her for it. She cares too much for her people; she can't ignore the fact that he didn't.'_

He didn't think he'd be able to face her if they were alone. He felt like somehow he had betrayed her. He knew her. She was probably pacing around, trying to understand why the man had been freed. She would probably start looking for him, wanting to talk.

When she showed up in the CIC minutes after, he was sure of one thing: it was going to be difficult. Her emotions were written all over her face. She quickly spotted him and walked to his side.

"Admiral, could we..." She always called him Admiral when people were around.

"Madam President, come with me." He gestured towards the catwalk in the CIC, a more private part of the room, where they could talk without the risk of anyone overhearing their words. Once they were there, he talked again. "Laura –"

"Bill" her voice, a whisper filled with frustration, cut him off. "Frak, we had him! All the evidence was against him. He allowed the Cylons kill our people, he signed death lists; he looked at the names and signed! And he's going to leave unpunished? He's leaving as if he hadn't done anything. He's leaving innocent." She made a pause and looked at him. Bill wasn't looking at her, but she knew he was listening. Laura approached him and whispered almost in his ear. "_Gaius Baltar is innocent_. Just the sound of that makes my skin crawl." She separated herself from Bill for a second.

Bill turned towards her and took a couple of steps forward. "Not guilty is not the same as innocent."

Laura looked into his deep blue eyes. "It must've been particularly difficult for you. What, you just..." she stopped for a second, noticing how he turned his head and looked to the floor, like he was ashamed of something or he didn't want to have that conversation "couldn't get the other two guys to budge?" Bill raised his eyes and met hers. She immediately noticed something was wrong. Looking deeper into his eyes she suddenly realized what it was. "You voted for his acquittal, didn't you?"

She felt betrayed, Bill could see it into her eyes. "I hate to say it" He spoke the true. "Defense made their case, the prosecution didn't."

Laura approached him and put one of her hands in his shoulder. She felt how her eyes were being filled with tears of frustration and she immediately tried to fight them back. "Gaius Baltar is a traitor. We both know that. Regardless of the outcome of this trial" her voice was calm and steady. She separated herself from him and turned around. Keeping her tears at bay was harder when she had Bill in front of her; with him she could no longer use her presidential mask.

"No one's asking anyone to forget. Or to forgive." Laura looked at him and he noticed a lone tear crawling down one of her cheeks. He wanted to rise his hand and dry that tear with his thumb, caress her soft skin and tell her everything would be alright, that now she was safe. But he didn't move. Instead, he stood in the same spot and dug his nails into his palms. "But we have to look to the future."

Laura closed her eyes tightly and some more tears trailed down her cheeks. She hated being that emotional, being so sensitive. She shut her eyes even closer and turned her back to the room, reclining her weight in the railing, facing the wall. "Maybe we do, but not with him. He didn't _deserve_ a trial. He deserved to be executed, like he allowed the Cylons do to all these people. They were _murdered_, Bill. I was nearly murdered myself, like an animal, without knowing what was going on. He saw my name on that list and signed. So, forgive me if I'm taking it personally" her voice was calm, but that was what made Bill's skin crawl.

After a few moments of hesitation, he reclined himself in the railings, by her side, and touched her shoulder. "He's a human after all. Would we be better than them if we allowed one of us to be executed without a trial? Would we be worthy of survival?"

Laura turned her head and looked at him. "He's still a traitor." She fell silent for a moment. Suddenly, Bill heard her chuckling. "You always have to be the compassionate and rational one, the one doing the right thing, haven't you? Always keeping me from getting my hands full of blood..."

Laura was resigned. She started thinking of the mistakes she had made. Admiral Helena Cain and now Baltar. Both of them threats, but both of them humans just like her. If it had been for her, both of them would have been executed. Bill prevented her from making a mistake she would have carried in her conscience forever, a reason to have shame of herself later. Like it already had happened with Hera. That time she had acted as if what she was doing was what was right for everyone, including the girl and her parents. She regretted it now; neither the child nor her mother had never been a real thread. She was alive today because of Hera. The little girl had saved her life. She couldn't even imagine the pain her parents had been through because of her, because of her decision.

Still facing the wall and with Bill by her side, Laura gently rubbed her belly. Her baby was there, still too small to know its' sex or to feel it move, and she didn't even know how to describe what she had with Bill; they weren't just friends and they weren't partners or lovers, but they were living together, having a child together and marrying in a week. She still had lots of things to figure out, but there was one single thing she had no doubts on. She already loved her baby more than she had ever loved anything. Her little miracle. A spot of light in the middle of the darkness her life had become.


	11. XI

**XI. **

After the end of the trial Bill was glad everything was back to its' original place from before Baltar reappeared into their lives; Everything except Laura. He was glad about all the changes concerning her; her new sleeping arrangements, her new residence and the changes in their relationship. It had been three days since the end of the trial, and both of them returned to their usual agendas. For her that meant more meetings over Colonial One and less time abroad Galactica, at least until the Fleet was officially informed of the change of residence of their President. Then, all her work would me moved to Galactica.

"Only four more days," Bill whispered "four days and we'll marry. And then she won't have to leave the ship." He had been using all his free time over the last week and a half to plan the wedding. Almost everything was ready for the big day. He wanted it to be perfect for her, to show her how much she really cared.

Sometimes he feared that she was only with him in all that because he was the father of her baby. She had come to him other times before the night she got pregnant. It always started with her needing to talk to someone. They would start talking, sometimes they would drink, sometimes they shared a meal, and sometimes things lead to something more. Then, they would satisfy their needs, they would help each other. There was no shame in that. They were good friends, that never changed. But they never talked about feelings, never talked about the _thing _between nerver mentioned even the possibility of having a future together someday.

Even now, they never talked about _them_. It scared her. She didn't want it. She might have always been the one who showed up in his door, but she never was the one who started the kissing in their old nights together. It was always him. He loved her, it was more than just friendship. He had fallen for her at Kobol, maybe even before, but he never allowed himself to make the first move until Groundbreaking day in New Caprica.

She never started the affectionate moments; she smiled warmly, gave him one of her smirks or arched her brows. But he was always the first to start. Once it was started she was always passionate, even driven by lust sometimes, she showed all her sweetness and affection, she caressed him. She gave herself to him completely. At times, Bill saw love in her eyes but he could never be sure; deep down he knew she loved him, but maybe she was scared by it or fear didn't let her see it. She loved him. It was obvious to him, but he wasn't going to rush her to see it, she had to realize it herself. He wasn't going to scare her.

"Frak!" he heard Laura's voice coming from their bedroom. "Just... Frak. Frak, frak, frak, frak, FRAK!"

Her voice was filled with frustration. She had been inside the bedroom for over thirty minutes and she had forbidden Bill to go in there until she was finished. So he had to sit in his desk, from where he couldn't see even an inch of the room.

"Frak, frak, frak, frak, frak, frak..." she continued.

"Is everything alright in there?" Bill asked, standing up and starting to walk towards the room.

"NO! There are no frakking trousers or skirt that fit." Laura jumped as she noticed Bill's shadow approaching. "William Adama, don't you dare enter the room! No groom is allowed to see the bride's dress before the wedding. Not even an Admiral."

Bill stopped in his spot and did his best to stop himself from laughing. "I think you've just said no trousers or skirt that fit, so there's no dress –"

"BILL! This isn't funny. Just... shut up and don't come in here."

"Come on, something in your wardrobe must still fit. You just have to find it." Bill tried to calm her down. If she was that nervous she wasn't going to find anything to wear for sure.

"I've tried _everything_ and believe me, there's nothing appropriate that fits. I'm not going to wear work clothes, casual or old bottoms, or sweatpants to my wedding. I refuse to. And they're the only ones that fit..."

"Have you tried the red skirt from New Caprica, I'm sure it –"

"The _red skirt_?" she interrupted him. "For _my_ wedding? Oh, no. Don't even think of it. If we were in a beach in Picon, maybe, but we're not. And I'm the President. I won't wear anything that isn't appropriate. I need..." she paused, looking at the piles of discarded clothes over the bed and at what she was wearing at the moment. She was only on her bra and underwear, and not even the bra fit anymore. She blushed as she noticed how her breasts were compressed into a too small bra. "Frak! I need a whole new wardrobe."

"A _whole_ new wardrobe?" Bill asked in disbelief.

"Well, Mr Adama, I guess I'm starting to show up, and my belly isn't the only part of me changing" _'and my appetite is stronger that it has ever been ever since the start of my illness, before I was even on Galactica for the first time' _she added in her mind.

"But, what do you need for the wedding?"

"I guess something white. And no, before you ask, a white towel won't do the job."

'_I'm marrying a funny lady_' thought Bill, amused with their conversation, trying not to chuckle. If she noticed how funny it all was being for him, she would surely be pissed off.

"Bill?" She put in a robe and tied it around her waist before coming out of the room. "Are you there?"

She saw Bill beside the phone, reaching for it. "Yes. I'm making a call. Don't worry about the clothes... Go to bed. I'll join you in a few minutes, okay?" Laura sighed and did as Bill asked.

* * *

The following morning, Bill woke up earlier than usual. When she woke up he had already had a shower and was eating his breakfast, and by the time she finished her own shower he was nowhere to be found. Instead, she saw her breakfast already prepared and a note by its' side. "_I've received an early call for work today. You must stay in our rooms a little longer, you'll see why. It's a surprise. Just wait. If you need anything I'm at the CIC. PS: I already informed Tory. Don't worry_" Laura said, reading aloud the note. She was suspicious it all had something to do with Bill's phone call the previous night.

Laura decided it was best not to worry, so she just sat in her chair and ate her breakfast. Once she finished, she glanced at the watch for the first time since she opened her eyes that morning. It was late, too late. She realized Bill must had turned off her alarm on purpose, so that she didn't argue with him about all of that... Had he not arranged this surprise she would already be in her second or third meeting of the day... She had to find something to kill time until her secret came.

Twenty minutes later, Laura had already cleaned up the dishes, dressed herself in one of her suits -one of the ones that still fit-, made the bed and rearranged the books sitting at the shelves. She paced around the room, not knowing what else to do. She eventually went into the bathroom. There, she stood in front of the mirror, looking at her reflection, wondering how to arrange her hair and make-up for the wedding. However, she quickly got distracted by a far more interesting thing.

She took off her jacket and examined her upper body. Even through her blouse she could see her bra was far too small for her now. Her breasts were now bigger, her cheeks fuller, her wrinkles less sharp and her curves more pronounced. Even she could notice it. For the last couple of months she had been putting on weight slowly, and not only because of the baby. Her appetite, which vanished back in Caprica when she learned about her cancer, was now back.

Curiosity led her to look straight to her belly, covered by the thin blouse. From the front, it was almost imperceptible with her clothes on. She turned to both sides and watched her reflection. That way it was evident. The thin fabric of the blouse curved over her slightly rounded abdomen.

Once more, curiosity won over her. She unbuttoned the blouse and took it off, leaving the flesh of her tummy bare. She moved in front of the mirror, trying to capture all the angles. That way, without the barrier of the clothes, it was unmistakable. She caressed her tummy lovingly, with a huge smile in her lips. The reason why almost any of her clothes fit was evident. She had started showing off.

A knock on the bathroom door brought her back to the real world. "Wait a minute..." She quickly put on her blouse again and buttoned it, but she was unable to erase the sheepish smile from her lips. Before opening the door, Laura checked herself in the mirror. Everything was at its' place.

"Sorry, Madam President" said Dee as Laura came back to the bedroom. "It's taken a while to find everything... And, by the way, congratulations." The young woman gave her a smile and gestured towards a couple of boxes resting by her side, on the floor.

Laura looked at her surprised. Dee caught one of the boxes and put it on the bed. Then, she opened it and started to remove items from it and lay them over the bed. There was a little bit of everything: pantsuits, some formal skirts, blouses, casual bottoms, tops and even underwear. All the clothes she would need in the months to come. Laura was unable to move or open her mouth, completely surprised. This was not the surprise she had in mind at all. She had hoped she would be able to get a couple of trousers, a skirt or a dress; just something to wear for the wedding, not a complete new wardrobe.

Once Dee had emptied the first box, she looked at the other woman and smiled at her. Laura closed her wide-open mouth and returned the smile with one of her own. "Oh. Thank you. I was wondering... I mean, how?" she said, startled.

"One of the civilian ships has established some kind of clothes shop... People but them, sell them or exchange them. Lee told me about it a while ago" Dee smiled again. "I thought you would need a new wardrobe, and Lee's been helping me. We've been collecting them from that day Lee was told about the marriage plans... It's our present."

Laura stood next to the younger woman and hugged her. "Thank you, Dee. Thank you very much. I was starting to go nuts with all this..." she finished with a giggle. She wouldn't have to worry about fitting in her clothes anymore. She now had everything she needed... except for something to marry in.

Dee seemed to read the worry in her face, and quickly grabbed the other box, smaller than the first. "This one is the reason I was late, Ma'am."

Before Dee could open the box, Laura corrected her. "Laura. Laura, please." She smiled. "After all, we're going to be family soon."

Dee smiled back while she opened the box. "I'll keep that in mind, Laura. And yes, both of us tied to the Adama men..."

"It looks like we love challenge" Laura finished with the other woman.

Dee finally started emptying the second box, slowly. "Any of these could make it. You just have to try them, and see which one fits better."

Laura smiled at the younger woman and started to look through all her options. Pantsuits, skirts, delicate blouses and dresses, all in different colours. She would take one of them and return the rest. Suddenly, while she was holding one of the blouses over her body in front of the mirror, trying to see the effect it had, she noticed something. Quickly, she dropped the blouse on the bed and raised a dress. '_Yes. That's the one._'


	12. XII

**XII. **

Laura looked at her reflection in the mirror and smiled. Dee had helped her get ready and was now doing the finishing touches. Her skilled hands had brought new life to her face and hair, which was now flowing like a cascade over her shoulders. '_It's me again,_ –she thought– _not the President. Today I'm just Laura._'

As she looked at her reflection, Laura let her mind wander. Maybe her marriage wouldn't be the one she dreamed as a child, but her husband-to-be was a real friend, a good man. Bill had agreed to all that circus for her and their child's behalf. She wanted to repay him in some way, for all of what he was doing for her, for them. She wanted to look beautiful for him; only for him. She wanted him to think she was beautiful. That was the true reason behind her idea to refuse marrying in one of her suits. She wanted to be _just Laura_ for him today, like she once had been in New Caprica.

She was wearing a bright red dress. Red, for Bill. He loved how that colour complimented her hair and eyes. A red silk dress that hugged all her curves just in the right way, which showed her slightly round belly and a reasonable amount of her cleavage. Bill would love it.

"Is the bride ready?" asked a man's voice from the door of the bathroom. "Because a wedding is going to take place in... hum... ten minutes."

Laura looked towards the voice and found Lee, wearing his uniform. "Oh, don't worry" she said smiling and standing up. "The bride is supposed to be late."

"Good things always take patience, huh?" He scanned her and smiled. "I must say the Old Man is a lucky one. You look... amazing."

"Thank you," she said blushing "but that's all because of Dee's skilled hands and your little present"

Lee gave her one of those genuine smiles he had inherited from his father; that smile that Bill only gave to her. She smiled back. Maybe marrying Bill following the Quorum's request, trying to avoid a scandal was not what she had planned, but now she even enjoyed the idea. She had spent way too much time alone during those last years. The idea of sharing her life with someone on a daily basis was very welcome.

"We should get going" Lee insisted "I already took the ten-minutes-waiting-for-the-bride for granted, so...

* * *

Meanwhile, Bill was standing in the middle of the little temple in Galactica, in front of an altar full of candles and statues of the Lords of Kobol. The priest who was going to marry them was facing the little altar that was at the front wall of the room, opposite the door. Their guests were sitting around the hexagonal room, all of them facing the altar in the middle of the room where he stood. There were all the Quorum delegates, the most important members of the government, the commanders of some of the biggest ships, a couple of people from the press and his family from Galactica. The room was full of candles, giving a much warmer atmosphere.

He was standing there waiting for Laura, knowing that she would show up through the door at any moment. He didn't even truly notice all the people around him. His Laura soon would appear. She would soon be his wife. He grabbed his finger, where his old ring used to be; a ring that reminded him of his mistakes. It was long gone. He had taken it off the day Laura came to him with the news of her pregnancy. Soon, there would be a new ring in that finger.

When Laura appeared through the door frame, with Lee by her side, Bill couldn't believe his eyes. He had never been a religious man, but he was sure the creature walking slowly towards him, smiling, was a real goddess. She was gorgeous, more than ever. Red, the perfect colour on her. An unreachable ethereal temptation wrapped with the sweetest envelope. Her deep green eyes glowed with the light of the candles. He could neither take his eyes from her nor erase the goofy smile in his mouth.

Time slowed down for the two of them. Their eyes met, and the two of them became lost in each other's eyes. Eventually, Lee dropped her by Bill's side. She looked at her husband-to-be, who was wearing an elegant black suit. Today they weren't the President and the Admiral; they just were Laura and Bill.

Once everyone was at their place, the priest left her spot at the other altar and came to where the bride and groom were standing. Soon, the ceremony started, but neither the bride nor the groom heard any of the priest's words. They were lost in their thoughts, looking into the other's eyes. They returned to the real world when the moment to read their bows came. Both of them had decided to write them themselves.

"Laura Roslin," Bill said putting her hands into his' and once again meeting her eyes "we met under difficult circumstances, we've worked together and eventually we became friends. We've argued and both of us have done mistakes, but I've never stopped admiring you, caring for you. You gave me back some things I thought were lost: happiness, faith and hope. I don't need to tell you how I feel about you, you already know it." Bill paused for a second and separated their hands. "Once I nearly lost you..." he took one of the rings that was resting upon the altar and started talking again as he slid the golden band into her finger "I want to be there for you, always."

She gave him a huge smile and fought to keep the tears forming in her eyes at bay. Laura was somehow scared of the feelings she was experiencing, remembering her family; her mother, her father, her two sisters and her unborn niece. When Bill was about to set her hand free, she squeezed his hands into hers, keeping th two of them linked.

"William Adama" she said, her voice soft, gentle, velvety. "Bill" she smiled at him. "You became my friend when I needed you. You offered yourself every time I needed a helping hand and never asked anything in return. You've been my conscience when I needed it. You've given me your friendship and your trust. You've become my best friend, my confident and much more... You've given me something unique, a precious gift anybody else could have given me, the best present I've ever received: a _family_." She separated their hands and took the other ring resting in the altar. She started talking again as she set the golden band in his finger. "You've become my family."

After a few moments, the priest broke the silence. "Now, before the eyes of the Lords of Kobol, I declare you husband and wife. So saw we all."

"So saw we all!" repeated everyone in the temple.

Bill caught Laura's hands again and kissed her lips gently. Laura forgot about everyone else in the room, and opened her lips, letting Bill deepen the kiss. Their tongues danced together, passion kicked-in. The room cheered for them, and their voices remembered the newlyweds that they weren't alone. They parted their lips, both of them wearing an expression of pure happiness and bliss on their faces.

"You look very handsome" Laura whispered to her husband.

"You are gorgeous, Ms Adama" he whispered back.

Laura looked into his eyes and giggled. _'Ms Adama... Laura Adama._' She smiled as Bill slid one of his arms around her back, drawing her closer to him. "It has a nice ring to it, but I'm still keeping my surname."

"I know" he told her smiling. "Now, I think we should get out of here. Our crew and the press must be waiting outside, and dinner will be ready soon."

Before leaving the little temple they were formally congratulated by all the Quorum delegates and personalities of the government and they posed for several photos with their closest friends. Once they were in the corridors, they found the rest of the press, waiting for some more photos and some story to report. Before returning to their quarters Galactica's crew also congratulated them. Eventually, they arrived at their quarters, where they found Saul, Dee and Lee already waiting for them.

The dinner finished early; the memory of the two women absent was still felt. Only Laura and Bill were in the mood for celebration. Once they were alone, he turned on his stereo and a slow instrumental song started to play. He smiled at Laura and invited her to dance with him. They danced following the music, their bodies only kept apart by their clothes.

After a while, Bill turned off the stereo and sat on the couch. Laura gave him a huge smile and took the place in his side. He allowed her head to rest onto his chest and wrapped his arm over her shoulder, drawing her closer to him. Then, he brought his free hand to rest over her belly. He kissed her beautiful hair and inhaled her sweet fragrance deeply before resting his cheek over her head. None of them said a word. They enjoyed the silence, the intimacy between them.

She was feeling completely at ease with his hands over her and his warm breath in her hair. She allowed herself to relax, to let everything that happened that day settle down in her mind. The way he looked at her, the way he kissed her, his bows, hers... She meant every word she said. He had given her a _family_.

The emotions of the day, the questions that still remained unanswered and her current lack of proper sleep soon drifted her to the land of dreams.

Once more, she found herself in that Opera House. Once more, she wasn't alone in there. Once more, she felt that pain followed by the light and a baby's cry. Once more, she woke up covered in cold sweat and gasping for air. And once more, Bill caressed her hair, trying to ease her worries away. She had told him about the dream after some nights sharing the same bed. That way, he wouldn't worry too much about her.

Once he was sure she was relaxed again, he returned his free hand to her belly. "Is everything alright?" he asked in a whisper.

Laura raised her head to meet his eyes. "Bill, I don't want to lose you. You're my family; you've been for a long time. Don't leave me... Promise me all of this is not just about the girl; that we'll never let it be just about the girl."

"You've got my word." He drew her even closer, trying to reassure her of his words. "So... The girl? How do you...?"

"Ah... It's – it's just a feeling." She raised her head again and let him see her bright smile. "I feel it in my bones, Bill. I just _know_ it's a girl."

He freed the hand that was over her belly and lifter her chin with a caress of his fingers. She was smiling. Her eyes were bright. Her lips were looking for his and were gently opened. He met them without a hint of doubt. It was a sweet kiss. A kiss full of affection.

Bill parted their lips and looked at her eyes. "Laura, I lo–" Laura cut him with a kiss. He was surprised; he hadn't expected her to do something like this. _'I love you'_, that were the words he had wanted to voice. He tried again, but Laura silenced him with a kiss again. Love, passion and lust driving her tongue into his lips.

Laura parted their lips and placed her index finger over his mouth. She looked at him with tears trailing down her cheeks. "Don't. Not yet. Don't say it, Bill. I'm not ready."


	13. XIII

**XIII.**

Bill and Laura had easily adapted to their new lives as husband and life. After a whole month, the Fleet was getting used to seeing them together in public. With the help of the Quorum and the press they had avoided a scandal. The Fleet needed both its' leaders, neither Laura nor Bill could be replaced, so they all had done their best to adapt to the new situation: President Roslin and Admiral Adama were now married and they were having a child together.

During the month both of them both of them had noticed the changes in Laura's body. The baby had grown and the baby bump was more evident than ever; she couldn't hide it anymore. At the same time, she was feeling better; the morning sickness had vanished.

That afternoon Bill went with her to sickbay. It was time for her check-up. Just a week ago Cottle had confirmed Laura's feeling; they were going to have a little girl.

Once they arrived at sickbay, Bill received a call. He was needed at the CIC. Laura, who had overheard the conversation, sent Bill to work. After all, she was only there for some blood test results.

She got into Cottle's office. "Hello, young lady" the doctor greeted her. "Where's your man? I thought he would come."

Laura smiled at him. "Duty has just called."

Cottle nodded and gave her the results while he lighted a cigarette. Everything was alright. Before she could leave, he talked again. "Anything you want to ask? Everything's alright?"

Laura smiled at him. "Yes, everything's fine."

Cottle chuckled and looked at her in the eye. "Are you sure?" Laura was about to talk again but he didn't let her. "Because your gums don't seem to agree..."

She quickly brushed her tongue against her upper teeth. "Oh, frak!" She tasted the unmistakable metallic taste of blood. "Not again..." her voice gave away her frustration.

"Sensitive gums, huh?" he said with a smile, putting off his cigarette. "Don't worry, it's normal. If you wait a couple of minutes in one of the beds I'll bring you something that might help."

Laura did as she was asked. She had noticed how amusing it all was for Cottle. _'He likes to boss the President around...'_ She sat in one of the beds and waited for the man. When he appeared through the curtains, he caught her in the middle of a big yawn. Yes, she was tired. She could feel his eyes scrutinizing her.

He stood there frozen for a moment before handing her a mouth tray filled with a greenish gel. "Put it in your mouth, bite it and keep it there until I come back." Cottle put the mouth tray in her mouth before she could say a word. "It's just fluoride. And after it you're going to spend here a couple of hours, in the bed." He paused and looked at her, who was ready to protest. "No. There's no discussion. Here I'm the higher authority. It's for your own good, you need some rest." Cottle was about to disappear through the curtains again when he turned to Laura once more. "Young girl, don't swallow it. You'll regret it if you do. It almost tastes as bad as algae tea."

When Cottle came back ten minutes later, he found Laura looking sickened. As he removed the mouth tray, she had to make a great effort to not end up vomiting. He quickly handed her a glass of water, which she took gratefully. "All congratulations. You've just survived your first treatment" he said as she took a sip of water. "I'm putting an IV on you and then you'll rest here for a couple of hours."

Laura took another sip of water. "Arghhh..." She sighed. That horrible taste was still in her mouth. "Talk about the cure being worst than the disease..." she reclined in the bed, exhausted. It had been a long day. _'Something more like a long week, in fact.'_

"Stand still" he said as he put Laura the IV and connected it to a saline box. "Now you'll have to stay here for a couple of hours. Well, next time you come for your gums bring a book or some paperwork. It'll help your mind up a bit. It'll also help keep your blood pressure down" he said with amusement, seeing her grimace of disgust.

"Yeah, right" she said settling her hear in the pillow, with her eyes already closed.

"You excuse me. I do have some other patients..."

"Yeah, right" Laura said gesturing a good-bye to him. He closed the curtain after him, giving her some intimacy. "Oh, Gods..." The horrible taste of the fluorine was still in her mouth, making her sick.

She allowed her exhaustion win and let her mind to drift away. Before she even had time to realise it, she was at the Opera House again.

* * *

_The red carpet was under her feet. The walls had a golden glow. Light was everywhere. She was walking, looking for something, for someone. Her clothes were reflecting the light. She was dressed in a silken suit. _

_The building was completely silent. She was alone, everything was at its' place. But she kept walking, looking for someone. All of a sudden she heard an unmistakable sound: a child's laughter. Hera. She was what Laura was trying to chase, now she remembered. _

_She saw Hera, called after her, but the girl kept laughing, walking away from her. _

_She followed the little girl. She went down the stairs, guided by the sound of her laughter and her tiny feet tapping the carpet. _

_She wasn't able to reach for Hera. She was faster than Laura, who felt herself growing heavier and clumsier at each step. She watched how the little girl had gotten to the ground floor. She noticed Athena, who was in front of her, watching how her daughter was out of their reach. _

_The door of the grand auditorium opened and a Six and a man appeared, surrounded by light. The Six approached Hera and carried her in her arms. Then, they disappeared into the auditorium. _

_Laura brought a hand over her belly and noticed how it had been growing. She was suddenly aware of the weight, of how her skin had stretched under her clothes, of how tight her clothes felt. _

_When the door Hera had disappeared through closed soundly, the light disappeared; Laura was suddenly surrounded by darkness. A deep pain in her lower-abdomen came with the darkness, so strong it forced her to her knees. _

* * *

Laura woke up giving a loud cry of pain, covered in cold sweat. It took her a few moments to be conscious of what had just happened. _'The pain isn't real, I'm fine... It's been just a dream... I... Has there been another scream? I'm sure..." _She quickly got up from the bed and stepped out of her cubicle, carrying the saline box, still attached to her through the IV.

"What's going on?" asked Cottle in an authoritative tone, worried by the two simultaneous shouts he heard. He looked from Laura to Athena, who was sitting with Hera in her arms. "You both freaked out at the same time?"

Laura looked at him in the eye for a moment, trying to see if he could help her understand what just happened. It was something serious. _'Has Athena also been there?'_ Only Athena could give her an answer.

"We need a moment" Laura told the doctor, not giving room for a negative answer. Athena looked at her frightened. "Take this off, get this off me. Please." She felt stupid in the middle of the room, carrying the saline bag.

"Will somebody please tell me what the hell is going on?" Cottle insisted, getting a glare from Laura as only answer.

Laura walked closer to Athena and Hera. There was no doubt; the two of them had been there, in the Opera House. They needed to know what happened inside the auditorium; what happened to Hera. A Six had also been there, carrying the girl.

* * *

Soon Laura was entering the Six's cell followed by Athena and some marines. They needed answers. She needed to know more.

The Six was sitting in her bed, looking almost inoffensive, harmless. She looked at her with her clear blue eyes. "Go outside" Laura ordered the marines. "Thank you, we'll be fine. Shut the door." The men did as she asked for. Then, she took a closer look of the cylon; she didn't look afraid. "I'm sorry about the shackles." The Six looked at them with an absent smile. Laura didn't want to waste more time, so she got straight to the point. "Were you with us? A moment ago, in the lobby of the Opera House?"

The cylon looked at both women standing before her. She was now shocked and afraid. She didn't know what it was about.

"I'll take that as a yes" continued Laura "judging by the look on your face."

"I was there too" added Athena, talking for the first time "and so was Hera."

The Six looked even more startled. "That shouldn't be possible."

"Add it to the list" said Athena, raising her eyebrows and settling her eyes in Laura's belly for a moment. It had grown, now it was obvious. At first, though, most people didn't believe it. When Roslin revealed her pregnancy to the whole fleet during the trial they thought the poor woman had gone nuts. She was too old, she was too _single_, she was too _presidential_, she was _Roslin_. But it was true. They had been proven wrong. They had been shown everything is possible.

Laura noticed how both Athena and the Six were staring at her belly. _'Yes, everything's possible.'_ She cleared her throat and looked at the two younger women, trying to return to their conversation. "You were trying to reach Hera?" she said looking straight into the Six's eyes.

"I don't know" the Six replied as she stood up "I just knew I had to protect her with my life."

Laura looked at the two other women again. Was it the first time they all had that dream, that vision, together? She just knew she had been having it during the last months, with slight changes; sometimes it started before, in the complete dark, and other times it lasted longer and she got to see the blinding light, the cradle, the blonde woman and the cry of a baby.


	14. XIV

**XIV. **

The Fleet was preparing to jump to the Ionian nebula. The CIC was crowded. Bill was there, with Laura by his side. It had been two weeks since she had discovered her dreams were shared with the two cylons. Ever since that day, she hadn't dreamt about it again.

"Jump coordinates have been distributed, Sir" said Gaeta. "All Fleet ships show green for jump formation Delta."

"Initiate jump" said Bill.

"Aye, Sir. Jumping in three, two, one... Jump." The Fleet jumped. After a few seconds of silence, Gaeta spoke again "Jump complete. All Fleet ships reporting in, sir."

"Very well, Mr. Gaeta. Commence dradis scan. Let's see what's out there."

The three people around the table, Helo, Bill and Laura, were looking at the dradis screens, waiting to see if they were alone out there. All of a sudden, Laura felt weird, uneasy. She moaned slightly, in discomfort. She took off her glasses and covered her face with her hands, trying to get rid of her blurred vision and the nausea that had suddenly appeared. Bill had quickly noticed her reaction. He was looking at her, worried for her health. He had just reached her when the lights came off. In a matter of seconds, the ship had lost its' energy.

Bill looked at her, even more worried. This situation could only mean trouble. "Sit rep!" he said while he held Laura by her shoulders tightly, trying to keep her from falling to the floor.

"Our sensors show major power fluctuations! Checking on Fleet..." replied Gaeta.

Laura took her hands off her face and looked around the room, her vision still blurred. The CIC was a complete chaos. Galactica herself was provably a complete chaos. People were moving around, doing their jobs, preparing for the worst. Laura felt useless, even an obstacle preventing them from doing their jobs, standing there rubbing her temples and trying not to throw up. She felt Bill's hands still holding her tightly. He had to do his job and she was only worrying him.

"I'm fine. Do your job" she whispered to him. "I'll be alright."

Bill looked at her. Yes, he had to do his job. They still didn't know if there was something out there. If they weren't alone, then they had a big problem. There was work that had to be done. He loosened his grip around Laura's shoulders and addressed his crew "Check auxiliary power."

"We have negative auxiliary power. We're on batteries only" answered Dualla.

Laura's mind drifted away from the CIC. She didn't hear the voices around her, they suddenly faded away. As she felt her nausea and headache grow, she allowed herself to rest her arms in the table, with her head in the top of her hands.

* * *

_She was at the Opera House. Alone. It was completely dark, but she knew it was the Opera House. _

_She felt a deep pain down her swollen belly. She gasped for air as the pain increased, as it forced her to kneel down. _

_Suddenly, just when she thought she couldn't take any more pain, the darkness was gone. Light surrounded her, embraced her. It made her forget the pain. _

_A baby's cry impregnated the blinding light. Slowly, the light became less intense. She looked around. She was inside the auditorium. The cries hadn't stopped. Instead, they were even louder. She looked for their source, turning around. _

_When the light returned to its' normal state, she saw a cradle and a blonde woman standing by it. _

* * *

Laura's eyes opened as she gasped for air, cold sweat forming in her forehead. She looked around; they all were still there. Powers were still not working completely. And a couple of strong hands were still holding her. She didn't need to look at him, she knew it was Bill.

"Admiral. Bill, what's going on?" Laura asked, almost a whisper.

"Some kind of power surge." He tightened his grip around her shoulders, as if trying to tell her not to worry about it. He looked at Dee then. "Give me a damage report immediately."

"The power outage was fleet-wide, Admiral" the young woman replied. Suddenly, the power was restored. "It... was also simultaneously restored to all ships."

Laura quickly turned around and looked into Bill's eyes. "I'm fine. Do your job, Admiral." He looked at her and she noticed the worry still in his eyes. She raised one of her hands to meet with his'. "Bill... I'm alright. Please, forget I'm here."

Bill nodded. Before resuming his work, he gently kissed her forehead while one of his hands lovingly caressed her belly. She felt his lips move against her skin, whispering some words only she could hear. "I could never forget you, darling."

When he broke their contact, she turned around to face the table again. She put her glasses back on and looked at the dradis screen, feeling slightly better. Suddenly, she noticed something strange. "Admiral! Admiral!" the urgency was written in her voice. "Bill!"

"Dradis contact!" informed Gaeta. "Massive cylon Fleet on intercept course!"

Bill's worst suspicions had become real. They had to act immediately. He ordered a new jump, but the previous power outage made it impossible. They would have to fight, it was their only possibility. He ordered to launch all the Vipers. Maybe that way they could win enough time for the FTL's to work again...

He looked at Laura. They were surrounded by cylon ships; there was no possible way to escape from them. She was facing him, looking at him. But her eyes were cold, as if they were looking through him, like she was able to see further. Without moving her eyes from his', she opened her mouth. "We're going to make it" she muttered.

Bill said nothing. He just nodded and kept doing his job. He ordered all of Galactica's weapons to be prepared. They were going to fight until the end, until they couldn't anymore. Suddenly, he noticed Saul standing by his side. "It's good to see you Colonel" he told him.

"Good to be here, Admiral" the other man replied. "You can count on me."

Bill nodded. "I've never doubted it."

* * *

Laura was still staring at the dradis screen, where she had fixed her gaze after her words to Bill. She didn't know where they had came for, but deep down she knew they were true.

Suddenly, she heard her aide's voice. "I'm here if you need me, Madam President." Laura didn't answer. She only looked at her for a second and patted her shoulder. She had noticed something strange, like an awkwardness floating in the air. Where had Tigh and Tory came from? Why did they come together?

She forgot her questions when she started hearing the Viper pilots' voices through the speakers. When she heard a certain familiar voice, she immediately looked at Bill. Lee, now her step-son, was amongst them, flying. By the look in Bill's face she knew he was just as surprised as she was.

"_I have a bogey at my ten_" they heard him talking. "_I'm gonna check it out... Where'd he go? Where the frak did you go?... What the frak!?_"

Everyone at the CIC was even more confused than Lee. Suddenly, they heard another voice. "_Hi, Lee_." That voice stunned everyone. Was it... Kara? They all believed her dead.

"_Kara?_"

"_Don't freak out. It really is me. It's gonna be okay. I've been to Earth. I know where it is. And I'm gonna take us there._"


	15. XV

**XV. **

They all had heard Kara's voice. Starbuck, the pilot that disappeared inside the nebula. The woman they had assumed was dead over four months ago. Bill had mourned her. In fact, everyone in Galactica had done it. Everyone who had ever crossed her path had mourned her death. And now she was speaking; she was alive. Bill loved her like a daughter; he wanted to believe it was her, that somehow she had survived and showed up there.

Laura forgot about the cylon ships for a moment. Kara Thrace. Starbuck. It had to be a trick; it had to be a cylon trap. She had died months ago, and now she was telling them she had been to Earth, but Laura knew better than believing her. _She _was the _Dying Leader_. _She _was the one who would guide them to Earth. It was all in the Sacred Scrolls. She had been chosen.

She knew about Bill's affection towards Kara. She looked at his face, and read him as if he was an open book. He was fighting with the possibility that it was real. He was happy; one of his children had just gotten back. He was taking in the girl's words. Finally, she saw he wasn't questioning Kara's words anymore. She couldn't allow it.

"Hold on, hold on." She walked towards Bill and touched his arm, trying to make him return to the real world. "It is not real. It is a trick." Laura was sure. Starbuck couldn't have survived out there alone, without help, for over four months. Bill didn't listen to her; he just kept doing his job as the fight with the cylons started. The pilots' voices mixed in the CIC, but Laura wasn't listening to them. She was just staring at Bill. She raised her hand again and rested it in Bill's shoulder, forcing him to acknowledge her presence right next to him. He looked into her eyes and suddenly she noticed something she didn't expect in his look. He was hurt. He had heard her words and they had hurt him, because he wanted to believe it was Starbuck. He wanted to get his daughter back. Laura's only wish at that moment, after that realization, was to make the time stop and to hold Bill right between her arms and tell him everything was going to be alright. If things didn't change it might be her last opportunity to do it, but she didn't have enough time. "Admiral, it's a Cylon trick." Her voice had been more authoritative than she had wanted to, but her eyes told Bill she was really concerned about him, about what was happening.

Bill stared into her eyes for a moment, trying to take in her words, trying to make sense of what was happening around them. Maybe she was right. Maybe it all was a trick. But he didn't have time to waste, they had cylons to fight. Starbuck could wait until they were safe again '_if we ever are safe again, that is_'- he mentally added.

"Sir, we lost Pyxis" said Gaeta, taking him out of his thoughts.

Laura was the first to react to the news. "Oh my Gods, Captain Tarney." She remembered the man. He had been a good ally in some occasions. Now he and his ship were gone. "Six hundred souls on that ship..." She immediately brought her hands protectively over her abdomen and caressed it lovingly, thinking about all the people they were going to lose on that fight, hoping her little girl would never be claimed under that circumstances. She thought about her white board, now standing in her new office in Galactica, about the number she'd have to erase. She couldn't let herself be sentimental now. She had to be strong, not only for her but also for Bill. She had to put on her presidential mask. "How did they find us?"

"That's the question, isn't it?" answered Bill. They had to make it, they had to go through that battle. The odds were against them. They were outnumbered. They were hit. It was a matter of time. They would soon face their end if things didn't radically change.

"Sir?" Gaeta's voice was unsure, but it took them all off of their thoughts. "The cylon strike force has just turned back to their ships. Baseships are spinning up." They all stared into the dradis monitors, trying to see that for themselves. It was true. The cylons were leaving. The fight was over. It was a miracle. The Vipers were returning to Galactica, fixes were being prepared.

"They had us" stated Tigh, breaking the silence. "Game over... Why the hell did they let us go?"

Everyone in the room, maybe even everyone in the Fleet, was asking themselves the same question. Why?

"Maybe something's changed" said Tory, standing beside Laura, with a firm voice.

"Like what?" inquired Laura looking at her aide upon her glasses. One of her hands was still wrapped over her belly, slowly caressing it through the fabric of her blouse. They were safe now.

"I have no idea, Madam President" said Tigh. "No idea."

There was something strange there, but Laura wasn't in the mood to dig in it. They had higher concerns. But before addressing them, she would allow herself to do something she _needed_. She walked towards Bill. He had done his job well; they only had lost one of their ships. However, he still looked troubled. He was probably thinking about Starbuck and the cylons.

When she was by his side, his eyes widened, noticing her for the first time in minutes. His mind was slowly processing all of what had just happened. He looked at Laura in the eye. She was there, with him. Before he was aware of what he was doing, he found himself hugging her tightly. "We've made it, Laura" he whispered into her ear. "We've made it." One of his hands slipped between their bodies and came to rest on top of her own hand, over her belly. "We're sa–"

"Bill" Laura cut him off with a whisper. "Bill, we're here, safe. But there's still work that needs to be done." She noticed the look in his eyes. He wasn't following her. "Starbuck..."

That simple word made him quickly understand what she meant. She was right.

* * *

Bill and Tigh were standing in the catwalk of the hangar deck. They had to deal with Starbuck, Kara... Or whatever it was. Could it truly be her?

They watched the woman as she got off the viper, as she talked with the crew, with their stunned faces. They saw Kara's confusion. Lee hugging her.

"Do you believe in miracles?" asked Tigh, taking Bill out of his thoughts.

At that question, Bill had to hold his urge to laugh. '_Miracles? What kind of miracles? Like Laura getting pregnant? Like us having a child at our age? Like how incredibly easy has been living together? No. He's not talking about this kind of miracles._' He looked at his friend, turning his face into a mask. "No. Not this kind of miracles." It couldn't be Kara. Sure, it looked like her, talked like her, moved like her. But it couldn't be Kara. There was no way she could have survived out there on her own during such a long time. The girl was confused as Sam hugged her, as the two of them talked. "STARBUCK!"

The girl looked up to find him. "I did it boss" she said with a grin. "I found Earth."

"Everybody move back" he shouted. They couldn't be sure it wasn't a trick, as much as he wanted to believe it truly was the real Starbuck. The marines aimed their guns to her. "I need you in sickbay. Cottle is going to give you a complete physical examination."


	16. XVI

**XVI. **

Bill and Laura were in their quarters sitting on their sofa when somebody knocked on the door. The hatch quickly opened and they saw Lee coming into the room, with Kara by his side. It had only been hours since the pilot had reappeared, but they needed their answers. Laura rose to her feet and looked at the other woman, wondering the reason of her comeback; that is if there was any.

As she set her feet in the room, Kara quickly and easily noticed the changes in the President's body; her swollen belly, the _glow_ she irradiated. '_Is she...? Really?! The President is having a baby? How..._' She cut her thoughts before creating an image she wouldn't be able to erase from her mind. Before being aware of it, she opened her mouth. "I see you have been enjoying yourself lately, Madame President" she snapped at the older woman, earning one of her death glares. Suddenly she noticed the baby bump wasn't the only change in the woman; the golden band in her finger, the way the Old Man was looking at her, the naturalness with which she moved around his quarters. With a quick glance she saw the pictures standing over the couch. A civilian dressed Admiral Adama standing with a red dressed Laura Roslin by his side, hugging her waist and with happy smiles on both their faces. "I guess a lot happened while I wasn't here..." Kara stared at Bill while she was finishing connecting the dots "and I guess I should congratulate you, Admiral."

The look on Bill's face and the snort of annoyance coming from Laura's lips gave Kara the answer she needed. '_Laura Roslin knocked up by the Old Man... And apparently she's tied him into marrying her. Not that we didn't suspect there was something between the two of them... Sam and Helo now owe me fifty cubits each..._"

Laura didn't say anything to the younger woman; she stood up in front of her and analysed her while she was being questioned by Bill. When Tory got into the room and brought Cottle's informs, she read them carefully and then passed them to Bill.

"So what's Cottle's verdict?" Kara asked them before giving Bill enough time to go through the whole inform. Clearly, she wasn't looking for an answer from Laura.

Bill took his time to finish reading the files and then looked to Kara. "Everything checks out."

"So I'm me?" she wondered, with sarcasm print all over her voice. "Not a cylon? That is why you had me tested, right?"

"Kara, nobody said you were cylon" Lee told her, talking for the first time since they entered the room.

The younger woman quickly locked eyes with Laura. "But you were thinking it" she snapped in return. Kara was sure all her problems came from the President; the Adama men wouldn't have her go through those accusations if it wasn't for her.

Bill noticed how the two women were looking at each other. He was positive that if they all weren't there, the two of them would already be punching each other. In some ways, they were very much alike; too stubborn for their own good. "We had to be sure, Kara" he assured to the younger woman, trying to make the tension in the room vanish.

Kara then looked at him and softened her look. "Fair enough."

"Let's go through it again" Laura insisted. She wasn't going to forget about it all only because the analysis tests had come clean. It wasn't crystal clean; they didn't have an explanation for the time discrepancies or the brand-new Viper. She needed answers.

Kara locked eyes with her again. "How many times do you want to hear it?" the younger woman mocked.

"As many times as it gets to make sense" Laura's voice was as cold as ice. She didn't blink one while Kara repeated the same story she had already told them, this time angrier. She made her questions and she listened to the answers, but she wasn't convinced.

* * *

The Viper's examination was confusing; a brand new Viper identical to Starbuck's one, but with no record of previous locations.

Laura wanted Kara in the brig, where she wouldn't be any trouble, while they were trying to get all the answers they needed. '_She _has_ to be a cylon. That's the only reasonable answer. Cottle's tests didn't show anything different, but... maybe she's been one of them since the beginning..._' A shiver ran down her spine at that thought. She had seen Bill's face when she had discussed with Tigh the possibility of Kara being a cylon from the beginning. He didn't want to believe it, and if it turned out to be true, he would be devastated.

"I know how you feel about her, Bill, but that is exactly what the cylons could be counting on here." Deep down, even if it only was for Bill's shake, she also wanted to believe it wasn't true.

"Then we're back where we started from." His voice sounded defeated. "There could be cylons right here, and we wouldn't know it till they put a bullet in our heads."

"Or lead us to an ambush" she continued, wanting him to understand her doubts, even if it was hurting him. The safety of the Fleet was their priority. "The cylon fleet had enough firepower to blow us out of the sky, but instead they ran and jumped." She paused for a few seconds and looked into Bill's eyes. "And there's Kara Thrace, suddenly back from the dead, having found Earth. If Kara Thrace can lead us off our course..."

"Course?" Lee cut her off. "What course? The nebula was supposed to be another clue on the way to Earth, but it..."

"The nebula is only a road sign along the way to Earth" Laura stated. "And we need to continue to follow its' path."

"Well, what if Kara is the clue that we were supposed to find?" the younger Adana insisted. '_He's so much like his father_ –Laura thought-_, it's just that Bill holds his thoughts for himself whereas Lee says them out loud._'

"And what if she's playing you?" Laura said looking at her step-son's eyes. Then, she turned to Bill and met his gaze. "And what if she's playing you? And all of us?" She raised her eyes and looked around the room. If Kara truly was a cylon, the Fleet was lost.

* * *

"I'm going to give her a chance" Bill told Laura. Everybody had left the deck and had resumed their jobs except for them, that were slowly walking down Galactica's corridors. "She's with Helo in the CIC. If there's a chance she can bring us to Earth I won't be the one to impede it."

Laura didn't like the idea; he could see it in her eyes. "But..."

"No. Don't worry." He stopped walking and grabbed Laura's wrist, making her stop too. "Helo's keeping an eye on her. She won't be able to do anything without us noticing it."

"Are you going to the CIC, to see her?" Laura wondered.

Bill loosened his grip on her wrist and gave her a small smile. "No. It's been a long day and my shift starts in a couple of hours. I'll go try to get some rest. Will you come?"

Laura smiled back and shook her head. "There's something I need to do before going to our quarters."

Bill set her wrist free and brought both his hands to lightly caress her cheeks, making her lips curl in a bigger smile. They were alone in the corridor; there was no risk of being seen by anybody. "Okay, but don't be late. It's been a long day for you too." As if her body agreed with his words, she yawned. "Promise me."

Laura gave him a sheepish smile. "I promise."


	17. XVII

**XVII. **

Laura needed answers about Kara, but she knew Bill wouldn't help her get them. He was too fond of the girl; his own heart was too invested. There was only one person who might be able to answer her doubts, and it was a cylon. A Six. Caprica Six.

Laura stood in front of the cylon, who was sitting on her bed. It was an unofficial visit, not even Bill knew about it. By then, he was probably already taking his nap. She had ordered the marines to back off and ignore her presence there. Nobody had to know she was visiting the Six; sharing dreams with her and Athena was enough.

She walked around the room, trying to understand what was happening and trying to understand why she ended up visiting the cylon. "I don't know why I'm here, why I came..." No, she had lied. She wanted answers and she had the feeling the blonde woman could provide them. "Yes, I do. I'm here because of the things that we've shared and the things that we've seen." Her voice was soft and delicate, almost a whisper.

The Six raised her eyes and looked into Laura's. "The visions in the Opera House." She thought it all was some kind of joke, her voice gave her away.

Yes, she was right, even if it was only a part of the answers she was looking for. "You went inside, you saw more than I did." She had lied again. She hadn't told Athena or the Six about the part of the dream apparently only she had. Maybe she saw more of it than the Six. The darkness, the pain, the light, the crib with the crying baby, the blonde woman. '_It can't be the Six _–Laura thought-_, she would've dreamt about it too and she would've said something..._' Maybe she saw more of it that the Six; she would probably never know. "I thought that maybe you could help me."

"Help you how?" the blonde was still holding her gaze. Unbelievably, she looked harmless, even if Laura was aware that if the cylon wanted she could break her neck effortlessly in a matter of seconds.

"I need to know about the other five. The types we've never seen. The ones Baltar calls the Final Five."

"And you want to know if Kara Thrace is one of them?"

Laura suddenly felt a lump in her throat, forcing her voice to grow even softer. "Yes" '_and if she's the blonde woman from my dreams._' She feared that maybe Kara was the blonde woman from her dream or maybe she was one of those Final Five; maybe she was both. But she couldn't be sure; there was no way to recognize that blonde woman, the light was always too bright. And if the cylon theory was true, it would break Bill's heart...

The cylon immediately broke their eye contact and fixed her gaze into the wall before her. "I've been programmed never to think about them."

Laura smirked. Her days as a teacher were always useful in situations like that. "Well, your programming isn't working because you're thinking about them right now."

The cylon looked into the older woman's eyes for a moment and then lowered her head and looked at the floor, as if she suddenly felt self-conscious. '_Just like my students did..._' When the cylon opened her mouth, her voice was softer. "I try not to."

"Trying not to is thinking about them. How do you rationalize that?" Maybe the cylons were intelligent, but Laura herself wasn't stupid. Dealing with her studies or with politicians in the past had given her the ability to find the cracks in someone's arguments. The cylon rose from her bed and took a couple of steps towards Laura. The older woman looked at the cell's door and saw the marines waiting for her approval to enter, but Laura shook her head. If the Six had wanted to harm her, she would already have done it.

The Six came even closer to Laura and approached her lips to the other woman's ear. "The Five are close."

Laura separated herself from the cylon and looked into her eyes. "What?"

"I can feel them" whispered back the Six.

When Laura tried to get something more from the Six, she walked back to her bed and sat there, looking into the empty space. That was all Laura was going to get, but it wasn't enough.

* * *

After trying to get some sleep for nearly an hour, Bill gave up. He took a quick cold shower, put into one of his clean uniforms and drank some coffee. By that time, Laura was already back at their quarters. He would've liked to talk with her for a while, but she looked exhausted, so he left her there, sleeping. When he showed up at the CIC, he still had an hour until his shift really started.

With a quick glance he noticed Helo and Starbuck working. '_Maybe she's really been to Earth. Maybe she can really take us there. What do we lose letting her try to find it?_' As he came closer to them, he heard their conversation. Kara was clearly frustrated. "It doesn't work like that!"

He was right behind her. "How does it work, Kara?"

She turned around to face him. "It's a feeling. An intuition" her voice showed her passion; how much she believed in her words. "I didn't use nav fixes to get there and back. When we were at that nebula, it was so clear to me. But every jump we take farther away, the clarity fades. If we keep jumping like this, I won't be able to find our way back."

Bill looked at her in the eye. Maybe she was right. Her faith in what she said she had seen and in her intuition was like Laura's when she talked about Kobol or the way to Earth. Maybe.

He looked at Helo and dismissed him. It was late and it had been a long day for everyone. Kara's comeback had happened in the early morning and nobody had stopped since then. His body also needed some rest, but he couldn't change his shift. He was used to getting some nights of little rest; it had been like that his entire career in the military. It was how things were done. However, it was now more difficult than ever, because now there was somebody waiting for him in his quarters.

* * *

They were preparing a new jump. That was the reason why Bill had to take that shift. Kara was still around, working on her own, looking through maps, searching for something that gave her a clue. Bill was standing near her, observing her work.

"Why do you insist on jumping?" the blonde woman asked, frustrated.

Bill looked at her and talked quietly. He didn't need the whole crew to hear their conversation. "The president's adamant. We're gonna continue on the course laid out by the Eye of Jupiter."

He saw in Starbuck's eyes she was about to say something mocking. Probably something about him and Laura. However, before Kara could actually open her mouth, they jumped, and the girl started shaking. "We're going the wrong way" she nearly whispered, clearly in distress. "If we keep jumping like this, I'm gonna lose the feeling completely, never be able to take us back."

He would be lying if he said he wasn't worried about the girl, but he couldn't keep them there only because she _had a feeling_. "What do you want me to do? You want me to go to Laura Roslin? Tell her, 'Forget Pythia and the Eye of Jupiter, because Kara has some feeling about where Earth is?'"

Kara, more stubborn than ever, looked at him defiantly. "Yes."

For her, it was as simple as that; going to Laura and telling her to follow Kara. No. He would never do it. "I can't. I just left your ship. There's not a scratch on it" At that words, Kara's expression changed. Now she looked vulnerable. She didn't understand it either. "It's brand new. How do you explain that, Kara?"

She didn't have an answer, but she noticed how Bill looked away from her. "Look at me. Look at me! I swear to the Gods... It's me. Kara" Bill raised his eyes to meet the girl. "I can do this. You once said you loved me like a daughter. If you still do, you've got to trust me on this one."

She was playing the emotional card. No, he wouldn't fall for it. "I can't afford to." He might love Kara as a daughter, but things weren't clear. He couldn't believe her without first finding answers to all his doubts. "Go rest. It's been a long day. Get a good night of sleep and come back here tomorrow. Helo's going to assist you again." He, once again, looked into the girl's eyes. "That's all I can give you."

* * *

Laura was lying in their bed, going from conscience to sleep and vice versa. Despite that, she was getting the rest her body craved so dearly. Her lack of dreams was probably the reason behind it.

Before leaving to the CIC Bill had helped her get into the bed. He had put a blanket over her legs and a cold compress over her tired eyes. '_He's such a sweetheart_' she thought as she remembered it. Her body was slowly getting rid of all the stress it had accumulated during the day and, at the same time, her little girl seemed to come alive. With both her hands resting over her belly and a smile plastered in her lips, she registered all the movements she could feel. She had been feeling some flutterings for a while and they were getting stronger every day. Soon, she would feel her little girl kicking, or at least it was what Cottle had assured her.

Suddenly her sleepy state was broken by a loud thud coming from the corridors. She slowly removed the cold compress from her eyes and stood from her lying position. She could see the light coming from the open hatch and the shape of someone walking towards her. Laura locked her eyes, trying to make out who was her visitor. Her blurry vision, though, didn't help her. Her glasses were on the nightstand but before she could reach for them, she finally made out who was the person standing before her.

Laura's smile disappeared when her visitor pulled out a gun and cocked it towards her face. Suddenly, Laura was afraid for her life.


	18. XVIII

**XVIII. **

Laura stared at the woman in front of her, scared. Kara was looking into her eyes. Her features didn't give away what was going inside her mind; her face was like a steel mask.

The younger woman, holding the gun towards Laura's heart, suddenly gestured with her head. "Move" that was the first thing she had said since she had came into the room and her voice was completely authoritative. Laura, though, was too shocked to understand what the younger woman was ordering her, so she didn't move from her spot. Instead, she rested one of her hands over her belly. "Move!" She flinched and started moving slowly; this time Laura had instantly understood what Kara was asking her to do and what it meant. She was pointing a gun to her. She had gone to her quarters to get her when she was more vulnerable. She wasn't kidding; it wasn't a prank.

Even if Kara was behind her, Laura could feel the gun pointing at her as she crossed the room with small steps. She pressed her hand firmly over her belly, somehow trying to protect her daughter. Quickly, she realised it was pointless; if Kara shot her, her daughter was frakked.

"Come on" said Starbuck, growing more nervous. Laura looked up, trying to keep her tears at bay. She had to do whatever Kara wanted her to do; she couldn't risk her little girl. "Move, come on! Over by the couch. Now!" She obeyed the younger woman and stood immobile while she closed the hatch. Her vision was blurry without her glasses, but even like that she was able to see a bulk in front of the hatch before she closed it, in the corridor. It was probably a Marine. "I want to hate you so much. So much."

Those words hurt her, but she tried to ignore them. If she wanted to get out of there alive, she had to keep her mind cold. She took a deep breath and tried to calm herself.

"You had a vision. Remember?" Kara continued, her nostrils flaring in anger. Laura had the bad feeling the younger woman would try to play her. "The Arrow, the Temple" She then started walking towards Laura, getting closer to her after every one of her words. "I went down to that planet with you, and it was a frakkin' toaster party. A lot of good people died. Remember?"

Kara's gun was pointing directly to her heart. If she shot her in that moment, standing at merely two steps from her, she would die almost instantly. But looking at the other woman's eyes, she saw what she wanted was an answer. She didn't want to kill her, at least at that moment. "Yes I do." She did her best to stop her voice from shaking.

The younger woman's eyes were burning. "I trusted you. On a vision. That's it. A vision." Now Laura could see where all of it was coming from, and that realization didn't relieve her at all. She opened and closed her eyes, trying to focus her vision. "I saw Earth. I saw it with my own eyes. And it's calling me back. We're going the wrong way." Kara then lowered her gun. "Why can't you trust me?" the young woman's eyes were softer and, even if it was for a moment, Laura saw the tears that were trying to escape her eyes.

Laura stared at the gun, still in Kara's hand. She wasn't sure if not having the gun pointing at her tranquilized her or scared her even more. She wasn't sure of what to think anymore. The stress she had accumulated the previous day returned and, with the confusion that was now in her mind, the exhaustion struck back. '_Bill, please, come... I need you here. You would know how to get out of this. Come, please._'

"Shoot me." Kara's voice took her out of her thoughts. Suddenly, she saw the other woman handing her the gun. "If you think I'm a Cylon then I'm your enemy." Laura didn't move an inch. Instead, she pressed both her hands tightly over her belly and kept her eyes fixed in the girl, cold, void of any emotion. "Shoot your enemy." She slammed the gun in the table by their side and looked at Laura defiantly. "Take it!" Laura didn't motion, she stayed in her spot and looked at Kara, who was growing more nervous every second that passed. "I'm no more a Cylon than you are. And you know it."

With sadness written all over her face and fighting the lump in her throat, Laura opened her mouth. "I wish I did." She really wished it. She wished the woman standing in front of her was really speaking the truth, but she couldn't. It would've been much easier for everyone if it had been that way; if the woman had meant no threat.

"I've put my life on the line for this frakkin' ship" Kara said coolly. Then, her nostrils flared in anger and she started talking loudly. "I have ate, slept, and fought next to the people that I love. I have pissed off my friends; I have broken more rules than I've followed! I frakked up, okay, I messed up." She stopped for an instant and looked right into Laura's eyes. "But it's all that I have. Those people are my family. And none of us belong here." Laura didn't react to her words; she only widened her eyes slightly. That was it. All of a sudden, Kara started talking again, angrier than before. "Shoot me. If I'm a Cylon, shoot me!"

"They made you perfect, didn't they?" she heard someone saying. '_Has it been me?_' The sound of a bullet being fired brought her mind back to reality. She quickly closed and opened her eyes, trying to focus her vision and see what had just happened. Then, she realised she was the one holding the gun. '_Oh, Lords of Kobol... I-I've fired a gun. No. No, please. If I've hit her Lee and Bill won't want to know anything about me anymore. Frak, Bill... he's going to hate me. No. No. If I've hit her I won't be able to look at myself in the mirror anymore... Please, please, please, please.._."

Laura suddenly felt a hand resting over her shoulder and she heard a familiar voice talking to her, even though she didn't understand what it said. She closed and opened her eyes and noticed the gun wasn't in her hand anymore. Both her hands were tightly clasped over her belly protectively. She looked at the room and saw Kara being reduced by the Marines. Tigh was standing near her holding a gun; the one she had fired. Then, she remembered the hand over her shoulder. Its' owner talked again. "Laura, are you alright?" She looked at the source of the voice and found Bill, looking at her with a worried expression.

Before Laura could answer Bill's question, Kara started screaming. "Get off me! Get off!" With the shackles around her wrists, the Marines allowed Kara to stand up. "Listen to me, please" her voice was much softer. She looked from Laura to Bill, both standing in front of her. "I'm losing it. The ringing... the way to Earth... it's getting weaker. Don't you understand?" Kara continued talking, but Laura didn't really hear what she was saying. She was still confused. She was still in shock. She pressed her palms tightly against her belly; she was alive, _they_ were alive. Then, she felt Bill's hand slip from her shoulder to her waist. His touch made her concentrate again in Kara's words. "I thought that's what we wanted. A way to earth. Do you hear me?"

"Get her out of here" said Tigh.

As the Marines carried her outside of the room, Kara started shouting again, looking directly at Laura. "You better work on your aim, because I'm not gonna stop! You're gonna have to kill me! One more jump and it'll be gone! Admiral! Admiral!"

Laura felt a shiver running down her spine. When the hatch closed, only leaving Tigh, Bill and herself in the room, she inhaled deeply. Bill's hold on her waist tightened, making her look at him. "Are you alright?" he repeated.

She nodded and allowed a single tear to trail down her cheek. Then, she remembered they weren't alone in the room and looked towards Tigh's direction. Much to her surprise, she noticed something else apart from the man. One of the photos hanging on the wall had a bullet hole. Her shot ended up in one of her wedding photos.

"I'm gonna cover the rest of your shift, Bill" said Thigh. "And no, there's no arguing." Tigh walked towards the hatch but, before disappearing through it, he turned towards them again. "Take care of your woman and your child, Bill."

When Bill looked at his wife, after Tigh had closed the hatch, he found her eyes full of tears and her cheeks completely wet. He raised both his hands to her face and placed them on both sides of her jaw. His thumbs gently caressed her cheeks. He didn't talk; he knew she needed the silence. She needed to organize her thoughts, to put them in order after that chaos she had just gone through. Minutes later, when her arms encircled around his waist, he knew it was time he did something more than just holding her. Then, he lovingly kissed her forehead.

Looking through her tears, she glanced at her husband. "I was so scared..." her voice was only a whisper. "I shot her, Bill. I shot her and I didn't even realise it until it was done..."

He removed his hands from her jaw and brought them to encircle her waist, just as she was doing with him. "Shush... Everything's alright. C'mon, let's go to sleep..." Laura nodded and let him guide her to their bed. She didn't want to talk about what had happened or to end up crying again. She hated crying. All she wanted was to get a good night of sleep. It has been a long day and, at last, it was over.


	19. XIX

_This one's a short one, but the next is extra-long, I promise.  
_

* * *

**XIX. **

At that moment, Bill hated his job. He hated his position and the responsibilities that were linked to it. He had the control over the military and his ship, but at the same time he usually felt like he didn't have it at all. He hated being put in that position; he had to do something with Starbuck, especially after what she did the previous night, but he couldn't bring himself to do it.

He was outside her cell, observing her. The girl was one of his soft spots. As much as he tried to, he found it difficult to consider her a threat. She had become like a daughter to him and his heart didn't let him hate her for what she did. '_Frak, Bill. Remember what she did yesterday. Remember how she left her own husband unconscious and took some Marines down in order to get to Laura. Remember how she held her at gunpoint. Laura; your wife, the mother of your unborn child. Kara knew it, and still she pointed a gun towards her; a charged gun. Remember how in shock was Laura, how she cried herself to sleep between your arms._' No. Even if he hated his jobs in days like that, he had to do it.

Bill entered the cell with a stern face, looking directly at Kara's eyes. He walked towards the woman and stopped in front of her, only a step apart. He wanted to hate her really hard. "What were you doing?" His voice was calm, but Kara easily noticed how angry he was. "What were you thinking? What happened to you?!"

She didn't break the visual contact, but her lips started to quiver. "I saw Earth" she said, her voice starting to break. Then, she started talking again, with her emotions on the surface. "The shape of it, the smell of it. The feel of it on my skin in my pores. And I swear to you, it was like I'd been there before." At that point Bill could swear there were tears forming in her eyes. "Like I never left."

He had to remember himself the reason why he was there and why Starbuck had been put into the brig. "You're too stupid to figure out you just screwed over the one ally you had." He wasn't sure if he was talking about him or about Laura; surely all that talk Kara was giving about Earth was somehow similar to the visions Laura once had. "You didn't have the guts to hold on." If she had let Laura take the time to convince herself Kara wasn't a threat, she would have listened to her. "Tell me. Who's gonna help you?"

Kara stayed in silence for a moment. "Yeah, frak me, huh?" Her voice was now more serene, with a tinge of irony. "It sure as hell isn't gonna be you. You've gotta remind yourself that you're somebody else. You're the president's wet nurse." He looked at Kara, not believing her words. "You're the one who doesn't have the guts. Your _wife_ has you caught by your balls." He couldn't take it anymore. Without thinking it, he grabbed her by her uniform and brought her to the floor. "Nice to know you still care, Admiral" says Kara, mockingly.

At that moment, Bill would've loved to kill her with her own hands. '_No. It isn't worth it._' Instead, he let her go. "Don't dare lay a finger on her ever again." His nostrils flared in anger as his voice became deeper. "Do you understand it?" He looked down at her in disgust. "If you ever harm her in any way, you'll have to face me. And I can promise you now I'll show no mercy. Apart from being your President, she's my _wife _and she's carrying my child."

After his last word, Bill stormed out of the room. If he had remained there any longer, he wouldn't have been able to control himself. Even as he was walking down the corridor, he heard Kara's scream. "We're going the wrong way!" His men had informed him she had been screaming that all night long. He hated days like that. At that moment, he felt the urgent need for a drink. Sweet, throat-burning, strong ambrosia that would cloud his mind and make it all much more bearable.

* * *

When Bill finally got into his rooms after a hard day of work and an escapade to the bar, he found Laura using their table as her desk. Her new office was across the corridor, but she much preferred being at their quarters; especially after what happened the previous day. She raised her eyes from the files she was working on and looked at Bill with a faint smile on her lips. He walked towards her and kissed her forehead. Laura looked up and met his eyes, a wider smile setting on her lips. "How's been your day?" she asked him.

"Horrible so far" he simply answered. In fact, she could have guessed it without asking him. His breath smelled like alcohol and his clothes smelled like he had spent a while at the bar. Ever since she had moved in with him, he almost stopped drinking. When he did, it meant his day had been pretty bad. "How have the two of you been today?" he smiled and bent down a little bit to caress her belly.

"Her day has been wonderful; she's been moving around all afternoon." Laura's smile widened even more. "Mine though, actually wasn't that good. I had to deal with the Quorum and some people from the press who came asking about Kara and yesterday's events. Somehow they've heard about it all."

Laura instantly saw the change in Bill's expression. Before she could say another word he walked away from her, going towards his bottles of ambrosia and poured himself a drink. Laura looked away; she didn't want to see him like that. She needed something to do to occupy her mind while he drank his worries away. The reports sitting upon the table were the perfect distraction.

With his drink in hand, he moved around the room, sipping the ambrosia from time to time, enjoying the occasional burn in his throat. When his glass was empty, he refilled it. Walking around the room again, he suddenly noticed something. The winged woman in his model boat's bow. The little statue Kara had given him before disappearing. The goddess Aurora. He sipped what was left of his drink and removed it from his ship. He couldn't stand the idea of it decorating his dear ship. It remembered him of the Kara he used to know. The woman held in the brig wasn't that Kara anymore; not after what she had done.


	20. XX

**XX.**

With his glass empty again, he walked towards the bottles and refilled it once more. Laura, hearing the click of the bottle against the glass, gave up on trying to work on the reports splayed in front of her. Anyway, she hadn't been able to concentrate on them ever since Bill had entered the room. She turned towards her husband and found him already taking a sip of the golden liquid. "You're enjoying that more than usual." She was genuinely worried about that. Considering what he had taken with her there and what he had drank before, his day had surely been hard on him.

He didn't look at her. No, seeing her worry written all over her face would've been too much for him at the moment. "Hair of the dog" he informed her. "Lee's party." Bill took another sip of his drink; this time bigger. He could remember it perfectly. All the pilots gathered at the bar, to say their goodbye to Lee as a pilot. He was definitively leaving; he had accepted the position Laura had offered him. He would take her job when she would be forced to leave it and, on the meantime, he would take some work from her, lightening her schedule. He could remember perfectly the words with which he toasted "_To Galactica! To the men and women of Galactica! To the Admiral, who commands the men and women of Galactica. And to our sweethearts, husbands, and wives... To absent friends._" Yes, his son wasn't leaving completely, but he was leaving in some way. He had changed sides. From the military to the government; from him to Laura. '_No. Not Laura. President Roslin. They aren't exactly the same, just as Admiral Adama is not exactly the same person as Bill._'

Laura's snort took him out of his thoughts. She was facing her reports again, but he was sure she wasn't working of them. He knew she probably didn't like seeing him like that, drink in hand. "What do we do now? Put her on trial?" She wasn't talking about Lee, of course. It was about Kara; Laura needed to talk about her, he supposed. "Find _Romo Lampkin_? Take a show of hands?"

Bill had had enough for the day; he didn't want to end up arguing with Laura about Kara. So he gave her the best answer his clouded mind could come up with to avoid it. "I don't know."

"Follow her into an ambush?" Laura said testing the waters, trying to discover if his opinion had drastically changed after a day without her reminding him at every moment anout the threat Kara was.

Bill's mind was foggy from all the drink he had taken. He had too much of it; he would regret it the following morning, when he would probably get up with a big headache. Yet, he was able to find an answer for her. "She is driven." At Laura's silence he realised it had been the wrong answer. His voice had been faster than his brain and he had said something that had been on his head since Kara reappeared.

"Yeah" she quickly answered. Yes, if Kara was one thing, it was driven. She turned around to look at him. For one moment, she hated Bill. He could let the booze cloud his mind and forget about everything for a while, but she couldn't. She had never been one to drink her troubles away but at that moment, if she had been able to drink, she could have used a good glass full of ambrosia. The last couple of days had been hard on the two of them. "You gonna keep waltzing, or are you gonna sit down and talk?" she asked him. Drinking was not an option for her, and knowing Bill it wouldn't be as effective on him as he thought. "What's going on?" He still looked away. "Sit" she ordered him, finally getting his attention.

Bill took his time before sitting on the chair in front of Laura. Meanwhile, she closed her files and put them on the other side of the table. Once he was already sitting and after taking another sip of his drink, he spoke. "What if she's telling the truth?" he asked. Laura hadn't been wrong; Kara was the root -or at least one of them- of his worries. "She was supposed to die out there. She didn't, I can't explain it. What if she was meant to help us? And this was a..."

Laura didn't open her mouth, waiting for him to finish talking, but his last words surprised her. "A what?" She was sceptic, had she heard him well? "A miracle?" She looked straight into his eyes, not believing Bill would call it a miracle. What was a real miracle was the little girl growing inside of her. "Is that what you want to call this? Go ahead, say it." She really, _really_, had to fight off her sudden urge to laugh at the situation. Bill's face was way too serious; if she had laughed Bill would have taken it personally. However, the situation itself was quite ironical. "Grab your piece of the Golden Arrow, I want to hear Admiral Atheist say that a miracle happened."

Even with the booze in his system Bill could tell Laura was quite amused by the situation. He looked at her and found her staring into his eyes. It was serious, they both needed to have this conversation. "You shot at her and missed at close range."

Laura had not realised she had shot until it was done, and Bill knew it. She looked away. "Confusion fraks with your aim" she stated, looking at him.

He dug himself into his drink again. "So does doubt." Once more, his voice had been faster than his brain. By the look on her face, he quickly knew he had frakked up.

Laura stared into his eyes and started talking, without blinking her eyes even once. "I pulled the trigger and I'd do it again." Her voice was cold and soft at the same time, and Bill was certain it would have probably terrified him if he had been sober at that moment. It wasn't Laura; it was Roslin speaking. "She put her life in front of a bullet as if it had no meaning. You drop an egg, you reach for another."

"Maybe convincing you meant more to her than her own life." Again, his voice had been faster than his brain. The booze in his system was betraying him.

"Is that your miracle?" she quickly replied. "You want to talk about miracles?" her voice was challenging. If Bill had been sober enough, he would have been completely terrified at that moment. "On the very same day that a very pale doctor informed me that I had terminal cancer, most of humanity was annihilated, and I survived. And by some mathematical absurdity, I became President. And then my cancer disappeared." Her emotions were on the surface. '_Frak the damn pregnancy hormones..._' she took a deep breath and stared into his eyes. If anyone in the fleet knew about miracles, it definitely was her. "And through all that we find a way that's leading us to Earth. You can call it whatever you want. And now, despite all the odds, I'm pregnant."

Bill sighed and met her eyes. "Don't talk that way."

"Bill" she nearly whispered, trying to make him come to his senses. "You've gotta understand this. Don't think for even a second that this has been easy for me. Before coming to tell you the news, I spent entire days thinking about it and what it meant. I wasn't ready for this. I'm too old for this. My body's betraying me at the worst moments and my hormones have been turning me crazy. And yes, I try to conceal it because I don't want to worry you." She paused and looked at him. "_This_" she said caressing her belly with one of her hands "is a miracle; the only miracle I will believe in. Despite the hormones messing up with me, I am completely sure about Kara, and I am not going to apologize to you for not trusting her. And I am not... I am not going to trust her with the fate of this Fleet." She paused once again and lost herself into his deep eyes. "You are so buckled up inside. You can't take any more loss. Your son's leaving." She made a pause again and softened her voice. "And then you're confused about this - me..." She looked at her belly and caressed it again, feeling how her little girl was moving slightly under her palm. "I know it."

He dug himself into his glass once again. "No one's going anywhere. And I am not confused about you or our child" he said defensively, holding onto his glass tighter.

Frak, she had tried it. Her hormones took control of her emotions and her eyes became filled with tears. "Okay. Here's the truth. This is what's going on." The tears were flowing freely down her cheeks and a lump was starting to form in her throat. "You want to believe Kara. You would rather be wrong about her and face your own demise, than risk losing her again."

Bill stared at her trying to read her, but he couldn't. She was too full of different emotions. If they continued like that, both of them would talk too much. "You can stay in the room," he stared at her defiantly "but get out of my head."

After saying those words, and not knowing how much they had hurt the woman they were addressed to, he got up and went to refill his empty glass once again. Laura, staring at his empty seat, opened her mouth. "You're so afraid to live alone" she stated.

Bill looked into his glass, now full of liquor. "And you're afraid to die that way." His voice had been faster than his brain, once again. Laura hummed, trying to keep her mask on; trying to hold the tears that were threatening to flood her eyes. Yes, she was hurt. "You're afraid that with all that happened you may not be the Dying Leader you thought you were." She pressed her palm tighter against her belly. "Or that your life and death may be as meaningless as everyone else's."

After his words, he stormed off the room and entered the bathroom, closing the door soundly after him. Laura, knowing that he would not appear again until she was already asleep or out of the room, tried to stop her emotions. She put her glasses back on and opened one of the files. But she wasn't able to make out a word of what was written there. Her mind was somewhere else. '_He hates me _–she took off her glasses again- _He'll leave me alone _–she closed her eyes tightly and allowed her tears to run freely- _He'll leave, like everyone that I ever loved has. I'll be alone again._'

Knowing she wouldn't get anything out of sitting there, she stood up and went to their bed. After quickly changing her clothes, she went inside the bed and curled under the sheets, bringing her legs as up as her belly allowed her to. Her hands entwined over her swollen belly and started caressing it. After a while, she noticed her cushion was wet with her own salty tears, but she couldn't care less. She would cry until her eyes dried, but she wouldn't let herself sob. No, she wouldn't give him that satisfaction.

* * *

Meanwhile, Bill was staring into his own reflection at the bathroom's mirror. He had been a stupid. He should've stopped drinking once he got to their quarters. He should've kept his mouth closed. He should've waited until he was sober to have that conversation.

He had left Laura in their room. She was hurt, he was sure. He had hurt her. He had been mean. He had said things he truly didn't believe. Where Kara was concerned, he didn't regret anything, but the last bit of their conversation was a whole different affair. '_Why did I tell her that? She won't die alone, ever. And her life's not meaningless; at all. She's the most precious thing that ever happened to me; Lee, Zak, she and now our child._' He continued staring into his reflection, feeling horrible. Yes, she had also been harsh with him, but she had been right. He was afraid to be left alone. He was afraid she would wake up one day and decide to move, to go back to Colonial One and leave him alone.

He stared into the glass he was still holding in his hand, trying to decide if he had to drink it or not. After a few seconds, he started turning the glass slowly, watching how the remaining liquor poured into the sink. No, he wasn't going to drink again when she was around.

Bill didn't want to keep that situation any longer. He couldn't bear it. He had to do something. He would go back to the room and crawl back into their bed; maybe she would kick him out of it, she was completely entitled to do it. He had been a complete idiot.

Suddenly, he heard a loud gasp coming from their room, followed by someone choking back in tears. That sounds sobered him up instantly. It was Laura. Quickly, he left the glass into the sink and went into their room. She was into their bed, covered by the sheets, facing the wall. He stopped in his tracks, merely two steps away from the bathroom's door, not knowing what to do but worried something might be happening to her. All of a sudden, he heard Laura gasp again. This time, however, it was followed by a bunch of muffled giggles. He was puzzled to say the least. Hesitating, he walked closer to their bed and tried to soften his voice as much as he could. "Are you alright?"

* * *

Laura's tears had been drying for a while, leaving her in a drowsy state, when she felt something she hadn't expected at all. She led out a gasp of surprise as felt what she thought was a tiny feet against the palm of one of her hands. All her emotions came back instantly, blurring her eyes with tears and forming a lump in her throat. Her baby, her girl. Instantly, she tried to choke back her tears; no, she shouldn't be crying in a moment like that. A big smile appeared in her lips as she spread both her palms over her belly, pressing them tighter against the silky material of her nightgown, wanting to feel any movement her little girl might do.

Even if she had already experienced it once, when she felt a tiny feet against her palm again, she gasped. She looked down to her hands and let out a muffled giggle as she caressed her belly, hoping that somehow her little girl would feel the answer she was giving to her tiny kicks.

Laura then heard someone's steps coming near her. It was Bill, it had to be him. She felt the tears filling her eyes again. She wanted to hate him; it would make their argument earlier that night much easier to bear.

"Are you alright?" he asked her, with one of the softer voices she had ever heard him using. Then, she felt the bed shift; he had sit on his side of the bed. For an instant, she contemplated not answering him, even ignoring he had talked to her, but she couldn't do that. Not when he was sitting so near her.

Laura quickly brushed off her tears with the help of the sheets and whirled in bed, now facing him. "She's kicked. Twice" was all answer she gave him, but it had been enough to make him feel even more guilty.

Bill lifted the sheets and saw her palms over her belly. Hesitantly, he moved to sit closer to her. "Can I-?"

She looked at him and smiled, nodding her head. After a few moments, she felt Bill's firm palms settling over her own. Then, she removed her hands, earning a questioning look from him. Without saying a word, she caught one of his palms and guided it where she had felt both kicks. "Here" she told him. "Just wait for a while; I don't think it will be long..."

He looked into her eyes and held them there in silence, waiting to feel the kick she had just promised. Her hands were warm against his' own. Her cheeks were still wet with tears. "I'm – I'm sorry..." he saw the surprise in her eyes. "I'm sorry about what I said. Well, not about what I said about Kara, but about what I said later." He looked at her, but her face was a mask. Her hands had loosened their grip on his', but she was still looking into his eyes. "I frakked up, didn't I?" She still didn't give him an answer. "I was wrong, Laura." She was silent once again. "Please. Please, say something..."

Laura broke their visual contact for an instant before finally opening her mouth. "No. You weren't wrong." She stopped and sighed, trying to fight back her tears. "You were right. I'm afraid to die alone. I'm afraid that when I die I'll have no one by my side." She felt both his palms starting to gently caress her belly. "Everyone I have ever loved or cared for has either left me alone or has died."

Bill sadly looked into her eyes. "No. Not this time, Laura. I'm not going to leave you. Never." He made a pause and approached himself to her. "I know you didn't want me to say it, but it's true and you need to hear it." He waited a second; he was sure she knew what he was about to say. She swallowed and held his gaze. "I love you, Laura Roslin. I'm never going to leave you, because it would kill me." He noticed some tears sliding down her cheeks. "You'll never be alone again."

He smiled at her and lowered himself until their mouths were only an inch apart. He would give her the choice to do it or not. He wouldn't force it. If she wanted it, she would kiss him. Bill felt her warm steady breath on his lips. Just when he thought she would turn away and reject his kiss, she moved the inch that kept them apart and joined their lips. Her lips were warm and loving, they were gentle with him; they were slow but firm. Bill tried to part them, wanting to slide his tongue in, trying to show her how true were his words. When she noticed it, she obliged him. Just as their tongues started dancing together, both of them felt something. Laura smiled against his lips and pushed his palms tighter against her belly, wanting him to feel their daughter moving as much as she did. When Bill identified what that small kick had been, he also smiled against Laura's lips, and allowed her to relocate his palms over her belly.

Soon enough, they both felt another kick, directly against Bill's palm. He separated their mouths and, without moving his palms from her belly, climbed up the bed, kicking off his boots the best he could. Then, once he was lying in bed, he joined their foreheads. "I'm not leaving you, and so won't our little one, do you understand?"

Laura nodded and closed her eyes, feeling too tired to keep them open. After a few moments, she dozed off. Bill quickly followed her, still wearing one of his uniforms.


	21. XXI

**XXI. **

They were at Colonial One's press room. An event like that couldn't be held over Galactica, especially considering who was the person that was being appointed as the new Caprica Quorum delegate. Lee Adama, the son of the Admiral, a man from the military, former Commander of the destroyed Battlestar Pegasus and more than once CAG of the Viper pilots. Informing the press about his new position over Galactica would've been too much.

Laura had decided to break the news at their own required time. Knowing Lee was now out of the military and working in the Government was enough for the press. Later, when they would be used to see him as a politician, she would inform them he had been appointed as her replacement; he would do her job, always under her supervision in all important matters.

The room was full of recorders, microphones and cameras. "I am grateful and consistently inspired by the compassionate and forthright leadership of President Roslin" Lee said, glancing towards her for a moment. "By the wisdom of my father," he looked at Bill, sitting at the first row "whom some of you may know." With his words he earned a laugh from most of the reporters in the room. "And by the support and advice of my valued friends. Some of whom, you may be shocked to hear, are not Capricans." Dee, sitting beside Bill, smiled at her husband. "And so I am honored to accept this appointment to the Quorum in the hope that I can continue Delegate Cowan's courageous work on behalf of the people of Caprica and the Fleet. Thank you."

Laura, Bill and everyone in the room clapped their hands in approbation. Laura smiled to herself; he would fulfil his new duties perfectly. The press, though, didn't lose a moment and quickly started to push their questions. Lee allowed one of them to talk. "Madam President, by confirming Mr. Adama's nomination, does this mean you don't have any hard feelings about his role in the Baltar Trial?"

Laura smiled and looked at Lee; both of them knew questions like that would be asked. He nodded and moved away from the podium, letting her take the place. She touched his arm and smiled "Thank you." Lee smiled back to her. Then, she looked at the press. "Mr. Adama took on a cause he felt was important. And I fully trust he will continue to bring the same passion and clear-mindedness in representing his constituents." Suddenly she felt light-headed, but she didn't lose her smile when the press started asking new questions; instead she brought a hand to rest over her belly and slowly caressed it. "Yes?"

"What about the Demetrius, the sewage recycling freighter that jumped away three weeks ago."

She wanted to kill Bill at that moment. When one week ago he told her he had freed Starbuck and given her that ship, she had told him it would eventually leak to the press, but he had insisted it wouldn't. Now, he had been proven wrong. So, as she had promised she would if the press ever asked, she passed him the responsibility of answering. "I will ask Admiral Adama to answer that question."

He looked at her and nodded. "The Demetrius is on a military mission" he simply stated. They didn't need to know anything else.

"What about the rumour that Kara Thrace was put in charge of that mission?" another reporter insisted.

"I don't comment on rumours" Bill coldly replied.

The reporters tried to be given their chance to ask their questions, but before Laura could enable any of them to, Tory approached her, trying to tell her something. She leaned in, so that the younger woman could whisper into her ear whatever she had to tell her. Suddenly, the uneasiness she had been feeling increased, and she looked for the edge of the podium with one of her hands, searching for support. She blinked, trying to focus her now blurred vision and she listened to the words of her aide but didn't understand a thing of what she said. Something was wrong with her, she could easily feel it; all her strength was slowly leaving her. She put both her hands on the podium, trying to stand steady, but her hands were shaking. She had to get out of there. "I'm gonna... have to cut this... short..." She suddenly felt someone holding part of her weight. Two big and firm hands were clasped around one of her arms. "Thank you... very much."

* * *

Bill had quickly noticed Laura wasn't alright. He debated whether to stand up and take her out of the room or not. But when he noticed her shaking hands and she heard her words to the press, he was sure it was something serious. Without thinking it even a moment, he got up from his seat and firmly caught one of her arms, supporting part of her weight. She finished talking to the press and looked at him, narrowing her eyes, as if she couldn't see him properly. Bill had to take her out of the press room.

Laura suddenly lost most of her strength and Bill had to let go of her arm and firmly catch her by her torso. Then, her body went limp; she had passed out. He held her even more tightly and quickly looked around the room, looking for Lee. When he found him, his son was looking at Laura with his mouth wide-open, worry written all over his face. "Prepare a Raptor, quickly" he nearly barked, making his son jump. Then, he stormed off the room. Bill looked around again. "Tory, warn Cottle. Tell him we'll be there soon." The woman quickly exited the room, looking for a telephone.

Bill's mind at that moment was only full of worry about Laura; he didn't even notice the buzzing of the press, who was trying to discover what was happening and trying to get photos and all kinds of information. He had to take her to a Raptor and then to Galactica's sickbay. Cottle had to see her.

He looked around the room again. He had tried to put her into his arms to carry her, but on his own he wasn't able to. Then, he saw the marines. "You," he told them "come help me. Come on!"

One of the marines helped Bill put Laura into his arms and once she was secure there, he stormed off the room carrying her, surrounded by the marines, going as quickly as he could. Luckily for all of them, the hangar deck of Colonial One wasn't too far from the press room. They soon arrived there and found the Raptor ready to fly back to Galactica. Lee helped him to carefully enter Laura into the ship. Then, they secured her the best they could. Bill sat beside her, squeezing one of her hands while he watched the colour drain out of her face.

"Dad," said Lee, without taking his eyes off the Raptor's window and with the controls in his hands "she's going to be alright. She's a tough one."

Bill didn't look away from Laura's serene features. He lovingly brushed her auburn locks off her face and caressed one pale cheek. "I'm going to believe it when I see her open her eyes again." She looked like she had just fallen asleep, as beautiful as always. "Bring us there as quick as you can, son."

"Yes. That's what I'm doing." Both father and son remained in silence for a while, and so did Dee and Tory, who were also with them at the Raptor. The tension could be felt in the air; they all loved in their own way the woman that lay unconscious by Bill's side. Without stopping doing his job, Lee opened his mouth, hesitantly. "I really care about her, dad. Not only because of all that happened. She's family."

Bill smiled sadly and squeezed Laura's hand harder. He lowered himself and got closer to one of her ears. "I'm here, with you, my love" he whispered. "You're not alone. I'm not going to leave your side and I'm not going to let anything happen to you or to our baby." He took out her glasses, folded them and put them into his pocket. "Everything's going to be alright." He couldn't help himself; he lowered himself again and lightly pressed his lips to hers, lingering the kiss more than he usually did. When he raised again, his eyes were full of tears. "I love you, darling. Everything's going to be fine; I promise."


	22. XXII

**XXII.**

Laura was lying in one of sickbay's beds, with Bill sitting by her side. The thick curtains were closed around them, giving them some privacy. He had been sitting there in that position, holding one of her hands, for hours; her other hand was connected to an IV. Every now and then Cottle himself or Ishay showed up and checked on Laura. The last time Cottle had come, he had informed Bill she was completely stable; she was only sleeping because of the meds he had given her and they were already wearing off. She would wake up at any moment now.

He looked at her, taking in her appearance. When they had arrived at Galactica she was completely pale; all colour had drained out of her face. Now, her cheeks were stained in pink, her eyes were closed smoothly, her lips were slightly parted and her chest went up and down rhythmically, following her breathing. She looked as if she had only fallen asleep. This calmed him.

When her eyes started to open lazily, he squeezed her hand gently and plastered a big smile in his lips to welcome her. She narrowed her eyes, trying to acclimatize them to the light. It was too bright for her; it was hurting her eyes. She didn't know where she was, but she was feeling completely exhausted.

She felt two strong hands squeezing one of hers' and immediately put a small smile in her lips. "Hello, beautiful" Bill nearly whispered, not wanting to disturb her. Then, noticing the light was too bright for her, he opened his mouth again. "Do you want me to turn off the light?"

Laura tried to speak, but found her mouth dry. She cleared her throat and tried again. "No." Her voice was hoarse. "I'll get used to it" she managed to say.

Bill instantly let go her hand, and she immediately shot a pleading look towards him. "Wait, it's just a second. I'm not going anywhere." He got up, caught the glass that was sitting at the nightstand and filled it with water. Then, he gently put a hand under her head and raised it, at the same time putting the glass in her lips. Laura side-eyed him and smiled, sipping some water. She had already drunk half the water when he removed the glass and rested her head against the pillow again. "I bet your throat is much better now, huh?"

She looked around her. Then, she turned her head towards him and watched how he sat beside her again. When he caught her hand, she smiled. "Am I at sickbay?" Bill nodded. "What happened?"

He looked at her and caressed her hand lovingly. "You passed out. You were unconscious for a couple of hours. Then Cottle gave you something to sleep." He smiled at her brought her hand to his lips, kissing it lightly. "You were stable, but he wanted you to rest" he explained. His eyes were filling with tears and Laura, whose eyes had acclimatized to the light, saw it. She said nothing. Instead, her own eyes filled with tears. Bill noticed it and tried to lighten the mood. "You're fine, Laura. But you had us all worried for a while."

She shrugged her nose. "Us? '_Us_' who?" she asked. She didn't remember passing out and the truth was at that moment she didn't remember what happened before that.

"My dear," he softened his voice and put a small smile in his lips, his tears had stopped and he had already wiped them off his face "when you passed out we were at Colonial One. Lee had just given his speech accepting his position as Caprica's Quorum Delegate. The press asked you –"

"The press?!" Laura cut him off. "I passed out in front of the press?" The memories of that morning were slowly coming back to her.

"Yes. Laura, let me explain it." He paused and waited until she slightly nodded her head. "You answered a couple of questions, then they asked about the Demetrius and Kara and you made me answer them. Tory told you something and you started to feel uneasy. When you addressed the press again I noticed something was off and I reached to hold you. Before I could take you off the room, you passed out." He tightened his hold on her hand. "We took you off the room immediately, and Lee brought us back to Galactica as quick as possible." He couldn't help it; an auburn lock had fallen to her face and he gently brought it behind her ear. "We were really worried. I was scared." Bill smiled and gently caressed her cheek. "They've been coming to check on you; Lee and Dee."

Laura closed her eyes and stayed silent. Something was wrong. She was scared of something she didn't even want to acknowledge. She tried to keep her mind out of that thought. She wasn't ready for the answer she might get. Instead, she tried to find another topic. "The press and the Quorum... I should have a press conference, calm them... Reschedule the meetings I've lost..."

Bill shook his head. "No. You don't have to worry about all of this now." He smiled and Laura, for the first time, noticed how red his eyes were. He had been crying. "Lee's taking care of it all. Zarek calmed the press and the Quorum until Lee got back to Colonial One with news. He knew you wanted to appoint Lee as acting President, and he informed them all of that." He paused and tightened his hold on Laura's hand. "Lee's taking care of it all; don't worry. Now, you have to rest and get your strength back."

She closed her eyes. "Okay. Okay..." The fear was growing inside of her. She felt her eyes prickle with new tears. Bill had said _she _was fine, but ever since she had woken up, she hadn't felt her daughter move. "Why aren't you telling me? Do you think I won't be able to take it?" He hadn't mentioned their daughter even once and she didn't feel her moving.

He looked at her confused. "Tell you what, darling? What do you mean?"

Laura opened her eyes and looked into Bill's ones. "Don't lie to me, Bill. Tell me the truth... I need to know it." Her cheeks were completely wet with tears. "Please..."

Bill squeezed her hand harder. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Our daughter, Bill." She looked at him, waiting for his answer, but he was still confused. "If something happened to her, tell me."

After her last words he quickly understood what she was talking about. He looked at her and his heart broke in a million pieces. '_Laura thinks she's lost our daughter. She thinks she's dead._' He looked into her eyes and found infinite sadness there. "No, Laura. No. She's fine." He put a hand over her belly and caressed it. "She's here, she hasn't left, she hasn't gone anywhere... She's alright. Here. With us."

Laura's tears increased. "No. You're lying. You think I won't be able to take it... You want me to get my strength back before telling me... You – you..." She wasn't able to continue; she started sobbing heavily.

He didn't take his eyes off her. One of his hands was still over her belly, gently caressing it, and the other was holding her hand firmly. "Laura, she's fine. I promise."

* * *

Cottle had heard voices coming from Laura's bed a while ago. He had decided to give the husband and wife some time on their own. They surely would want to talk about their things. He didn't need to check Laura immediately and if there was something going wrong, Bill wouldn't hesitate to have him there in an instant. He had other patients to worry about.

When he approached Laura's bed, ready to check her, he heard a woman sobbing. He was sure it was Roslin. However, he didn't expect the scene we found when he opened the curtains and entered. She was sobbing heavily, with tears falling all over her cheeks and her body tense. Bill, beside her, was trying to calm her. He cleared his throat, trying to make them notice him.

Laura's eyes quickly raised and met Cottle's. "Young lady, I see you're awake." He stopped and glanced at the situation again. "Can somebody tell me what's going on here?"

She tried to choke back her tears and clear her throat, but she didn't fully succeed in any of the two. "He doesn't want to tell me... I need to know it."

Cottle's face was a poem. He didn't understand at all what the woman was talking about. He looked at her husband, looking for an answer of some sort, but he didn't find it. "Can you explain yourself better?"

Laura shot him a death glare, sobering up for an instant, but she quickly started crying again. "My da – daughter..."

The doctor looked at her, suspecting what she was referring to. Gods, the woman thought she had lost her daughter. "No. Calm down. Your daughter is fine. Nothing's happened to her" he assured her.

She shut her eyes tightly, trying to stop her tears. Then, she inhaled deeply and tried to stop her sobs. "No, she isn't. Bill hasn't said anything about her, and I can't feel her move. I haven't felt her yet" she confessed, her voice breaking.

"She's fine; you don't have to worry about her" Cottle assured her. "If you haven't felt her yet it is probably because of the meds I gave you to put you to sleep or because she's still getting her energy back. You don't have to worry about that."

Laura gave him a judging look, not sure if she had to believe him or not. "But..."

"No 'buts'." Cottle looked at both of them. "Look, the two of you are fine, but if it calms you, I can bring the ultrasound. Would you like it?"

She was still unsure, but she nodded. Bill tightened his grip on her hand and looked towards Cottle. "Thanks, Jack."

The doctor turned around and shook his head. "You don't have to thank me. Next time be sure your woman doesn't freak out for something like that or else she'll end up airlocking your ass."

Cottle disappeared through the curtains and left the two of them alone again. Laura fought her tears back, trying to get back the control over her emotions. Bill took the hand he still held and pressed her palm over the swollen curve of her belly.


	23. XXIII

**XXIII. **

It wasn't long until Cottle reappeared again through the curtains accompanied by Ishay, carrying the ultrasound and its' monitor with them. Bill stood up from his chair and helped Ishay raise the upper-body of the bed and then readjusted Laura's pillow. She was still trying to hold herself together; she wasn't convinced everything was alright. The palm Bill had placed over her belly was pressed tighter against it, trying to notice any possible movement, but she didn't.

Bill sat beside her. Ishay smiled at her while she lowered the sheets so that Laura's upper body wasn't covered by them. Without losing her smile, the nurse then left her belly bare. That smile wasn't making her feel comfortable at all. The hand that had been pressed against her belly now sought Bill's firm hold; he willingly took it hand and squeezed it gently.

When Cottle put the cold gel over her belly, her eyes travelled to Bill's ones. He was also looking back at her. He could easily see the fear and vulnerability in them. She was still scared. He could feel how her hand was shaking between his own. He tightened his grip and smiled, trying to calm her down.

Suddenly, they heard the rhythmic sound of a little heart beating coming off from the machine. Laura, immediately recognising the sound, jumped a little and tightly squeezed Bill's hand. She batted her eyelashes, letting a lone tear slide down her cheek. She had been wrong. Their child was fine. She looked up to Bill again and smiled sweetly. He caressed the hand he had between his own. "I told you she was fine" he said smiling back.

Cottle didn't take long before finishing with the ultrasound. Then, he asked Ishay to take it out of the cubicle. Meanwhile, Laura, with Bill's help, covered her belly again and threw the sheets over it. When Cottle finally spoke, Bill was sitting again. "You see, young lady, there was nothing to worry about. You should feel her move around sometime soon." Laura smiled and quickly glanced towards Bill. "I bet he has already told you what happened, but just in case... You fainted and were brought here, right?" She nodded. "I won't go into details because your man knows them as well as I do; he didn't move from your side even when I tried to kick him out of sickbay... So he can explain everything." He paused and looked at her. "Our best guess is that it was caused by lack of proper rest, and too much stress. If you slow down your pace and take some more time to yourself it wouldn't have to happen again and there shouldn't be any issue with your pregnancy."

Laura sighed, frustrated. She didn't like the idea of having to cut her work more than she already had. But she was grateful that nothing bad had happened to her daughter.

"For the time being," the doctor continued as she rested one of her hands over her belly "you'll have to spend at least a couple of days here. I want to be sure your body gets the rest it needs and that there's nothing else we haven't been able to see." Laura nodded. No, she didn't like the idea of spending two days there, in that bed, but she didn't have any other option. "I am being serious, young lady. You need to rest and take care of yourself. A pregnancy at your age can be really complicated if the mother is unwilling to take care of herself."

Laura had her mouth wide-open. "I am not being unwilling to do my part!" she protested.

"Oh, I didn't mean it as an affront. On the contrary, I was only trying to warn you. You must start taking real care of yourself. You'll want to be as strong as possible when your due date is closer, and you'll also want to be strong to take care of your daughter once she's born." She looked at him, not knowing how to react to his words. "Look, I'm just telling you that when you feel a little bit tired, you should stop whatever you're doing and take a frakking nap. When you've got too much work, just ask for help before you get stressed. Try to eat healthier and drink water even if you're not thirsty." Cottle stopped. Then he looked at Bill for an instant and then back to Laura. "And, if you feel like it, a little sweat doesn't hurt;" he said with a wink "it might even help. It helps with the stress levels and –"

"Get out!" Laura threatened Cottle. "Get out before I airlock your old, perverted ass." Her voice didn't rise, but her cold tone had given him the willies. She had perfectly understood what he had meant, and she clearly wasn't amused; or at least she wanted him to think that, because when Cottle disappeared through the curtains, Laura started giggling. "Oh, Gods" she managed to say while trying to stop her giggles. "Has he just prescribed me what I think he prescribed?"

Bill chuckled. "I don't know..." Oh, yes, he was sure Cottle had just suggested her wife that getting laid would be beneficial both for her and the child.

Laura continued giggling, with both her hands resting over her belly. She couldn't believe that the doctor had actually suggested _that_, and in front of Bill. Surely, the man was getting old... When she glanced at Bill for an instant and saw him all serious, she stopped her giggles all of a sudden. "No... No. Don't tell me you're considering it..." she teased him.

He looked at her, all sobered up. "No, it isn't that." He paused and got closer to her, leaning towards her bed and brushing his fingers against one of her arms, wanting to draw her attention. "I was really scared, darling. I knew nothing would happen to you, but that didn't stop me from thinking I could lose you. So easy, just like that, and you could be gone..." She looked up and saw the tears prickling at his eyes. "I don't know how I could ever go on without you by my side, Laura. I love you."

It was the first time she allowed him say the words without protesting. Suddenly, she also felt tears starting to form at her eyes. She tried to keep them from falling, but her hormones betrayed her.

She didn't say anything. They stayed in silence, just staring into the other's eyes. At some point, Bill also brought both his hands over her belly and started to trace patterns with his fingertips there. When they felt a kick against their palms, they didn't say anything; they just smiled. Bill got up from his chair and reclined over her to kiss her sweet lips; it was gentle and full of love and affection. When he parted their lips, he whispered. "I love you."

Laura smiled again and let her eyes close. "I'm tired." It had been a long day.

Bill quickly understood she needed her rest. After the day they had it was strange she hadn't wanted to go back to sleep before. He watched her try to make herself comfortable, but he knew how much she hated having to stay there. It remembered her of her cancer, of how close she had once been to death. Deciding to somehow make it more bearable to her, he picked up the book that was on her nightstand. Dee had brought it from their rooms when she had came to visit, trying to get Bill to distract himself for a while, but he couldn't read while Laura wasn't awake. Now, reading aloud to her would be the best way to calm her and help her put herself to sleep.

He took his glasses out of one of his pockets and put them on. Laura's glasses were also there. He carefully took them out and put them on the nightstand. Then, he opened the book. "Love & Bullets, by Nick Taylo. Chapter One." Laura lazily opened her eyes and looked at him, smiling. "_It started like it always did. With a body. This one was in the river. I could tell she had once been beautiful,_" and just like that, hearing that words, Laura's eyes started to fill with tears "_but this a bullet and fast current had taken away from her. All we are, all that we think we are. All that we are certain about is taken away from us._" She breathed deeply, trying to control her emotions. But as she battered her eyelashes, a tear escaped her eyes. "_When you've worked the streets and seen what I've seen, you become more and more convinced of it every day._" Bill stopped for a moment and looked at her. Her eyes were open, glistening with tears, but she was smiling. "_Caprica City had been my teacher, my mistress. From the moment I open my eyes, she's in my blood, like cheap wine._" Laura let a small moan escape her lips. She wasn't sure if those words were really written in the book, but they held a special meaning for the two of them. "_Bitter and sweet, tinged with regret. I'll never be free of her, nor do I want to be._" He took his eyes off the book; he knew the words of by heart. He didn't want to read them, because he really meant them. He watched how Laura's smile grew wider and how her eyes travelled to meet with his'. "_For she is what I am._" He watched how she rested both her hands over her belly and fought to keep her tears at bay. "_All that is, should always be_."

Bill stopped reading when one of her hands sought his grip. She was smiling again. The truth was she was still trying to process his words. She was feeling a sweet pang in her heart, like she always did when he showed her his affection. Suddenly, she remembered some words she had once heard him say. '_When you think you love somebody, you love them. That's what love is. Thoughts...'_ Laura smiled sheepishly and squeezed his hand, making him look at her. "It is love..." The words had left her mouth before she realised it. Bill gave her a quizzical look, but it only made Laura's smile become wider.

She had been in denial for too long. She had been scared, because everyone she had loved had ended up leaving her, and she was afraid Bill would end up doing the same. But he was there, by her side. He hadn't left her alone even a minute. He loved her and, before leaving her, he would fight for her if it was necessary. He hadn't backed out when she had tried to push him away, and he would never do it.

"I love you." She didn't realise how true that words were until she said them out loud. She loved him with every fibre of her being. Laura watched the change in Bill's features. A genuine smile appeared in his lips and his eyes started to twinkle. He gently squeezed her hand and, in response, she let out her giggles.

Bill brought her hand to his lips and kissed it gently. Then, he raised his eyes to her again. "About time."

Laura's giggles increased and she brought her free hand to caress his hair. "Oh, it feels wonderful..." She smiled and he kissed her delicate hand again. She waited until he looked up at her to talk again, with one of those smirks that turned Bill crazy set in her lips. "Admiral, I think it's time you come up here."

His smile grew even wider than it already was. "Anything you say, Madame President." And with those words, he got up from his chair and leaned over her, covering her lips with his'.


	24. XXIV

_This one took a little longer than usual... But well, I've been having some hectic days._

_Next chapter should be ready before the end of the week._

* * *

**XXIV. **

Laura patiently remained in silence while Cottle examined her, but once he was finished, she couldn't keep her lips glued together. "So... what's the verdict? Am I going to make it past this night?" Bill, amused by the sarcasm her tone was tinged with, chuckled. Cottle sighed and rolled his eyes. "It's my second day in here and you said I'd have to stay here a couple of days. Do I have to start packing up my things or does my lovely husband have to start bringing clean changes of clothes?"

The doctor sighed again. "Neither. I said you had to stay here for two _complete_ days. When you woke up it was nearly night, so that day doesn't count. Tomorrow morning you'll be released."

After hearing his words, she immediately pouted. "Come on, I hadn't complained until now. I've been a good girl; I've learned the lesson and Bill's never going to let me be on my own for long periods of time..." She wanted to leave sickbay as soon as possible, she hated having to stay there. "Are you going to have me tied to this bed this night while you could let me sleep in my own bed, with my husband?"

"Young lady, I might be getting old, but I'm not stupid. You don't believe no one's seen the two of you cuddling up in this tiny bed at night, do you?" Laura's cheeks immediately flushed. Bill, by her side, smiled; he was aware they had seen them. During the two nights he had already slept there, Cottle or one of his nurses had been checking Laura almost every hour and they had sometimes found him awake. "You two can cuddle again this night; I won't stop you. I would only worry about your husband; if you aren't careful you're going to kick his ass out of the bed one of these nights. Now, I think we're done." Cottle started walking through the curtains but suddenly stopped and turned around to face them. "Tomorrow, first thing in the morning, I'll come to check you and then you'll be able to leave."

When Cottle disappeared through the curtains, Laura looked at her husband. "You _knew_ they had seen us and you didn't tell me?" Bill's eyes were on her. She was pissed; anything he said would be used against him, probably. So he just smiled faintly. Laura sighed, frustrated. "Excellent. Just... excellent." He approached his chair to the bed as much as he could. Then, he reached for one of her arms and started drawing patterns on her pale skin. She sighed again. "It's not going to work." He watched how she rolled her eyes, all serious, and chuckled. She was behaving like a child caught wandering around when he should already be in bed. "Oh, please, don't." She rolled her eyes again and he chuckled harder. "Come on, it isn't funny. Why didn't you tell me they had seen us?"

Bill slightly rose from his chair and bent down to give a peck to her lips, but she raised one of her hands to his chest and tried to push him away. "It won't work, William Adama. Don't even try to –" He caught her hand and lowered it to her own belly and at the same time he covered her lips, silencing her. At first, she tried to push him away again, but when he pressed his lips harder against hers', she parted them and let out a moan into his mouth. His tongue gently demanded entrance. Suddenly, all the tension her body had accumulated started to disappear. She brought her spare hand behind Bill's neck and deepened their kiss.

Much to her surprise, it was Bill the one who broke their kiss. Without moving away from her and with her hand still clutched behind his neck, he looked into her eyes. When he saw the confusion in her eyes, he smirked. "I couldn't tell you they had seen us. It would've deprived us from all the fun; you've seen how amused Cottle was..." he teased her.

Laura closed her eyes and shook her head. "William Adama..." her voice was somehow scolding. "Really?" Her eyes opened and looked straight into Bill's ones. "That's all? You wanted to have _fun_?"

Bill's smile widened. "Yes. Well, that and I was also afraid you wouldn't let me repeat it if you knew we had been caught..."

This time it was Laura the one who smiled. "So you were afraid I'd kick you out of this tiny bed?" She watched how he nodded his head and gently stroked his neck. "Admiral, I'd never do that. I don't know if you remember it, but I'll repeat it again just in case you've forgotten the half a million times I've said it over the last couple of days;" she paused for a second and looked straight into his eyes "I love you."

Bill leaned down to give a quick, gentle peck to her lips. Just when they were about to deepen their kiss, both of them heard someone clearing their throat. Immediately, they broke their contact and looked towards the place where the sound came from. Once they recognized the person who had caught them, their tension vanished. Bill sat on his chair. "Son, Dee" he greeted them.

"I'm sorry we interrupted" said Lee. "If you want we can... come around later?"

Laura shook her head. "No. No, now's perfect." She smiled towards her son-in-law and his wife. "I'm glad you came." The younger woman smiled back and took a couple of steps towards the bed. When she noticed Lee hadn't moved, she took him by his arm and pulled him towards her, letting the curtains close behind them. Upon watching that scene, Bill smiled and took one of Laura's hands into his own. When he noticed her other hand was resting upon her belly, his smile became brighter. "You can take a sit if you want" said Laura after some instants of complete silence.

The young couple took the two chairs placed at the other side of the bed and sat down. "So... When's the doctor releasing you?" asked Lee. "Everything's fine?"

Bill watched how his wife pouted and answered for her before she could do it herself. "Tomorrow morning. And yes, everything's fine."

Laura glared at him and rolled her eyes. "Thank you for answering for me, darling," a smile was playing in her lips "but I can still talk for myself. I'll still have to spend a couple of days mostly sitting down or in bed, but I'll be able to work."

"Oh, Madam Pres-" Lee started before noticing Laura's glare. Immediately, he corrected himself. "I mean, Laura... You don't have to worry about it, everything's being taken care of."

Laura smiled. "I know, and I am grateful for everything that you're doing. But I need to go back to work and so does your father." She looked at Bill and squeezed his hand. "He isn't going to be able to get any work done if he doesn't know there's someone checking on me every five minutes when he's not around..."

"That would be Tory, wouldn't it?" asked Bill with a smile.

The young couple looked at Laura and the Old Man. Even though they had been married for some weeks and it was obvious they had been more than intimate before it considering Laura's swollen belly, it was still odd seeing them like that. Clearly, they weren't used to it, and they didn't know what to say or how to act. However, Laura and Bill didn't seem to care about it; they couldn't be more comfortable together.

In what seemed minutes later, Lee cleared his throat, earning everybody's attention. "Chief Tyrol has decided to have the service for his wife tomorrow morning, at dawn. I thought you should know" he said looking towards his father.

Bill shook his head. "Of course... Tell me the time and I'll be there."

Lee nodded and looked nervously towards the woman in the bed. She looked at her husband and squeezed his hand. Loosing someone from Galactica's crew was always difficult for him, but when it was a young girl that left a husband and a baby son it was even harder. "I should go there too; I want to." Bill gave her a questioning look and she quickly tried to explain her reasons. "We spent some time together in New Caprica. I babysat her son a couple of times... The same firing squad was about to kill us before the cylons were taken down..."

He looked at her for a few instants, in silence. "Okay. I'll talk with Cottle; I don't think there'll be any problem... But then you promise me you're going to be a good girl and not force your body for the rest of the day."

Laura looked into his eyes and smiled. "I promise."

* * *

It hadn't been long until the young couple had left, leaving Bill and Laura alone. Once both of them had dinner, he changed into something more comfortable while she moved to make space for him in the tiny bed. When he jumped into the bed, they both moved until they made both their bodies fit together.

"I wish having them around wasn't so... strange" her voice was a mere whisper. She paused for a second and looked into Bill's eyes, with a sad smile on her lips. "I'm still only _the President_ to them, even if they're _family_ to me." She sighed and got as close to him as she could. After some seconds in silence, she smiled and turned her head towards him, trying to see him. When he smiled back, she stroked the hand he was resting over her belly. "I'm glad I can be just _Laura_ with you."

He gave a peck to her lips and caressed her belly. "I know, darling. Believe me, I too enjoy being just _Bill_ with you." She rested her head on the pillow again, and he took the opportunity to kiss the soft skin of her neck, giving her goose bumps. "They really care about you; they just don't know how to show it yet. Give them time."

Bill's words were spoken with his lips still on her neck, and their tickling made her giggle. "If you say so... I should believe you, shouldn't I?"


	25. XXV

_This one came out longer than I expected... not that I complain. _

_This chapter is probaly going to be the last one I publish before starting university next week, so from now on uploads will be more spaced out, that's for sure. Some hectic weeks are coming up! _

* * *

**XXV. **

It was early in the morning. The light from the candles created an ethereal atmosphere inside the temple; the little flames danced and mixed themselves with the light coming from the bulbs. The room was full; each and every one of the people sitting there wanted to bid their farewell to the woman that had died. They were all in complete silence, watching the grieving husband. Bill and Laura weren't an exception. They were sitting side by side, with their hands linked.

"I couldn't keep you safe from harm, my love, but I kept you in my heart" started Tyrol, breaking the silence. "You were the breath in my lungs, the blood in my veins, the light in my eye," Bill's grip in Laura's hand tightened; she was all that to him and even more "and now that breath is gone. That blood and the light are gone. Now I am left, a voice. And the Lords of Kobol, as many and as varied as mortal men, must bend down and lean low to hear that voice and hear my lament."

When Tyrol finished talking, he walked away from the altar in the centre of the room. The silence owned the room once again; anyone dared to open their mouths after that confession of love. Laura turned her head towards Bill and found him staring into her eyes. A small smile crept into her lips as she felt his hand travel to her belly, to join one of her own that was already resting there.

"With all our thoughts and love, Callandra Henderson Tyrol, we send your spirit into the universe" said the priestess from behind her altar. "So say we all."

They all repeated the priestess' words. Laura, still with a small smile on her lips, leaned towards Bill's shoulder, trying to speak with him without being heard by anyone. "I liked that service" she whispered into his ear.

He turned his head and leaned towards her ear. "It's not for me, I'll tell you that."

Her lips curled a little bit before she opened her mouth again. "I know, but I want you to know what I like."

He looked at her confused and stroked her belly with the hand he was resting there. "Why?"

She smiled and covered his hand with hers'. "We're married. I love you" She watched how his confusion turned into a small smile. "I want you to know me and I want to know you as well." Laura took her eyes out of him for an instant and noticed Tyrol had stood up. "Bill, we should..."

He smiled slightly. "Yes, I know. But you let me walk you to our rooms; deal?" Laura nodded as he helped her stand up from her chair.

Tory quickly joined her and offered her one of her arms for support, but she only earned a death glare from Laura; she didn't need that help. '_I am pregnant, not sick with some terminal illness. My cancer's not back._' They stood immobile as Bill talked with Tyrol, telling him the service had been lovely. When Tyrol thanked him, Laura took a step; now was her turn. Tory quickly leaned towards her ear before she could join Tyrol. "Why do they have to do these things at dawn?" she whispered into her ear. Surely, the woman had a terrible timing.

Laura sighed and looked at her aide. "It's all right. They do because they have to." Ignoring Tory, she walked towards the man standing in front of them. "I'm sorry" she almost whispered. "Let me know if you need anything."

He looked at her and nodded. "Thank you."

Bill, who had been waiting for her, drew an arm around her shoulders and guided her outside the temple.

* * *

"Instead of walking me to our quarters shouldn't you be going to the CIC?" Laura asked him as soon as they were alone in the corridor. "You're their Admiral and they've barely seen you for the last three days..."

He turned his neck to look at her. "Saul is capable of managing it all while I'm not there. If there had been a real problem they would've warned me." Then, he paused for a second and plastered a shy smile in his lips. "Besides, I had something better to do, like taking care of a certain gorgeous woman that needed my attentions."

He was trying to tease her, and after nearly three days of boredom in sickbay –even if he had been there with her all the time trying to lighten the mood, sickbay was still sickbay- she really felt like following Bill's game. "Oh" she simply said, letting her mouth open, her lips forming an 'o'. "Should I be jealous of her?" she asked him, deciding that playing dumb was her best option. "I mean, I thought I was the reason you didn't show up at the CIC..."

Bill smirked. "Oh, yes. You should be very jealous of her. In fact, every woman in the Fleet should be," his smirk turned into one of his genuine smiles, and the arm that was draped around her shoulder moved down to meet her waist, "because she's the most beautiful amongst them all, and also the most intelligent." Laura's cheeks immediately became tinged in red. "You know, she's the President."

Laura stopped walking and buried her head in the crook of his neck. "She's lucky to have someone that thinks so highly of her..."

He tightened his embrace around her waist, bringing her body closer to him. "Indeed, she's lucky." With a bent finger under her chin, he gently made her raise her head. Their eyes quickly met. "But _he _is even luckier to have her by his side and to call her his wife."

She threw her arm around his waist and smiled widely. "Oh, stop it! You're going to make me blush!"

"We wouldn't want that, would we?" He kissed her shoulder and brushed behind her ear an auburn lock that had escaped. "Come on. There's a surprise for you waiting at our quarters. We should get going..."

* * *

"Keep your eyes closed. Don't cheat." Bill watched Laura closely, with a big smile of anticipation in his mouth. "To your left." Laura turned completely towards the left. "No, only a little."

Laura sighed and breathed heavily. "Oh, that's easy for you, isn't it? You're not blindfolded like I am... Why did you have to do it?"

Bill smirked. "There's a surprise waiting for you. You're not supposed to see it until I show it to you..."

"A genius..." she muttered under her breath. "You're aware that I am very clumsy lately, aren't you?"

He was amused to say the least. "Come on, I offered to guide you and you refused. You must stick with the consequences... Okay, now go straight. Slightly to your left again... Yes. Be careful there's a –"

"Frak!" She had collided with a chair. "Oh, I think I'm going to get a bruise on my leg..." Laura quickly rubbed where she had hit with the chair, just above the knee, trying to ease away the pain.

"If you had let me guide you this wouldn't have happened..." Bill added without thinking too much. He quickly realised he shouldn't have opened his mouth. He took one of her arms. "Follow me." He guided her to the most private part of the quarters and made her stop in her tracks. Then, he moved to stand behind her and untied the knot of her blindfold. "Now. Open your eyes" he said as he let the piece of cloth fall to the floor.

When Laura's eyes opened and she recognised the object sitting in front of her, she covered her mouth. She hadn't expected anything like that at all. "Oh my Gods!" she managed to say, feeling a lump form in her throat. "Bill, that's... that's just..."

He watched all the emotions dancing in her face. She was excited, it was evident. But he needed to hear her saying it. "Do you like it?"

"Of course!" she quickly managed. She didn't want him to think she didn't like his surprise. "It's beautiful." She then looked at him and smiled sweetly. "I love it." Unconsciously, both her hands travelled to her belly and started caressing it gently. "Where did you find it?"

Bill smiled genuinely and brushed the head of the crib with his fingers. "I did it myself" he proudly announced. "I wanted to wait a little bit to show it to you, but... I feel now's the right time."

She felt the lump in her throat become bigger. "But... how?" she managed to say.

"Oh, it hasn't appeared out of the blue; I started it a while ago. One of the guys from the crew helped me plan it and Saul helped me make it from scratch." He smiled to a still very startled Laura. "It used to be my bed... Now it will be our girl's cradle."

She took a couple of steps towards the cradle and examined it. It was perfect; he had surely put a lot of effort making it. "Will you ever stop surprising me?"

Bill smirked. "I'll try not to. And, just in case you were wondering, I painted it white on purpose. I know you like to paint; I'll get you some paints so that you can decorate it however you want." He looked at her and watched her smile widen. "Would you like that?"

"Oh, I would love it" she assured him while she nodded.

* * *

When Bill finished his last shift at the CIC, he returned to their quarters. He closed the hatch trying not to make too much noise and looked around for Laura. He didn't find her, but her things were scattered around the room. He bent down and picked her shoes. Then, he put a bookmark in an open book, and grabbed it and her glasses, sitting beside the book. Her blazer was thrown over the couch; he also took it. It was obvious she was there. When he entered their bedroom, he found her lying on the bed, covered by a blanket. It looked like she was sleeping.

Trying to be as quiet as possible, he left all the objects he was carrying at their correct place. Then, he sat on the bed, beside Laura. She immediately moved, and it wasn't long until her eyes opened lazily. "I am sorry; I didn't want to wake you." She battered her eyelashes and smiled slightly. Bill caressed her cheek. "Am I that late?"

Laura smiled again. "No, I was just following Cottle's advise." Her voice was hoarse from sleep. "He said: 'take a nap when you feel like it', and that's what I was doing." She closed her eyes and enjoyed Bill's warm fingers against her skin. "How's been your day?"

"It's been fine. Tons of paperwork I had to go over... Saul can do my job pretty well, but he really hates doing paperwork..." She giggled and Bill let out a chuckle in response. "Yours?"

She opened her eyes and met her deep blue ones. "I actually have a certain Adama man who has taken care of my paperwork" she informed him with a smile. "My only job today has been signing reports and a quick meeting with the Quorum to let them know that I'm still alive. And it seems they aren't going to let me get too much job done..."

Bill watched how she pouted in amusement. Then, he slipped one hand to her belly and started drawing patterns in it. Her having less job would be better for everyone, but he knew how responsible she felt for her job. She felt it was her _duty _to do it. The Fleet were _her people. _"You're okay with that?"

She sighed heavily and looked up at the ceiling. "Well, I knew my job would be reduced, but I never expected it to be reduced that much..." She turned her eyes towards Bill and smiled. "But I won't complain right now. Being able to take naps whenever I please feels good. And, you know, after spending some days at sickbay I feel more tired than ever." One of her hands travelled to her belly and started caressing it lovingly, just like Bill had been doing. Both of them smiled widely when they started feeling their daughter's kicks.

After some minutes enjoying in silence that intimate moment between the two of them, Bill opened his mouth again. "You want to sleep now?"

Laura quickly shook her head. "Oh, no. I'm hungry" she admitted. "And I've been sleeping most of the afternoon... I am not tired anymore." She smiled and met his eyes. Suddenly, both of them felt another kick. "She's getting stronger every day" she said as her smile widened.

Bill grinned and leaned down to peck her lips. When he tried to get up, she caught her arm. He immediately turned his head towards her and found her with a pleading look. "Let me make a call. Otherwise we won't get any dinner."

* * *

After having dinner together, they sat down in the coach. Bill let Laura rest her legs on his lap. He told her it was to help her with her swollen ankles –having them risen helped the circulation and reduced the swelling–, but both of them knew it was only an excuse. They liked feeling the other's warmth as close as they could to their own bodies.

Bill took the book he had been reading to her while they were at sickbay. Love and Bullets. They were almost done with it; they only had a couple of short chapters left. Both of them got comfortable on the couch. He rested the book upon Laura's legs and rearranged his glasses, to start reading. She let her head fall against the cushions and focused on Bill's deep voice and the story he was reading to her. She was fascinated by it; he was investing his time in reading aloud to _her_, and he looked like he enjoyed it. He was taking a rest from his real life and becoming the voice of a book for her; only for her.

She rested both her hands over her belly and enjoyed the moment. It was beautiful. It was better than anything she could have ever expected. Even her little girl seemed to agree; she was moving peacefully, reacting to the voice of her father. She was sure of it.

All of a sudden, she saw how Bill slowly closed the book. He looked at her and smiled. "The End."

Laura pouted in response "That's all...?"

He nodded and smiled again. "Yes." He watched how she shook her head, as if she didn't agree with him. It had been too short. "Do you want to start another one?" suggested Bill.

Laura grinned from ear to ear. "Do you really have to ask?" He carefully lifted her legs, stood up from the coach, and let them rest over the leathern surface. He walked towards one of his shelves and put "Love and Bullets" on its' place. Then, he started touching the spines of all the other books, as if he was trying to decide which one he would pick next. Laura felt their daughter move again and smiled. "You know, she loves your voice."

Bill smiled and turned to face his lovely wife. '_How have I gotten so lucky?_'. "And I bet she loves yours' even more."

Her smile widened. She watched her Bill scrounge around his books, looking for the right one, in awe. When he finally turned to her with a book in his hands, she forced herself to erase the sheepish smile that had settled on her lips. "So, which one have you chosen?"

He carefully lifted her legs and sat on the couch again. Then, he rested them over his lap. "Something different this time. It's a classic." He informed her. Then, he smiled. "My favourite."

Laura jumped in excitement. She knew which one he meant; they had discussed it a while ago. "Searider Falcon!" she exclaimed. She loved that book too. "I haven't read it in years. I don't remember how it ends."

Bill had forgotten about the book, his hands were busy massaging Laura's ankles and feet. He felt lucky; he really loved her legs, and now they were all his'. "I don't either" he confessed. "I never read the ending."

She looked at him confused. He had to be teasing her, it wasn't possible. "You're kidding. It's your favourite."

Then, he looked straight into her eyes and smiled sweetly. "I like it so much, I don't want it to be over." He paused for a few seconds, trying to find the right words. "So... I'm saving it."

Laura smirked. "Well maybe I should do that" she teased him. Bill fixed his gaze into her eyes and suddenly, she had the feeling she had stepped into unwelcome territory. She had frakked up. Quickly, she opened her mouth again. "That's a bad idea. Maybe not."

Bill looked at her and smiled faintly. "No. Maybe it's time I read the ending." His smile became brighter. "Now I have someone to share it with."


	26. XXVI

****_First couple of days of college survived! It'll take some weeks to get used to it all,  
but I think I'll manage to finish the next chapter before next week. _

* * *

**XXVI.**

Laura had never really been a morning person, and ever since she became pregnant, only a hot shower ensured she fully woke up each day. It was her own little ritual. Her clothes for the day were always ready, waiting for her in a chair inside the bathroom, prepared the night before so she didn't have to exit the bathroom in a towel or choose them at early morning. She was aware that when she forgot to do it, Bill did it for her. It was one of those days. The previous night she had fallen asleep on the couch, tired after a long day, while Bill was reading for her. Somehow he had managed to bring her to the bed, because she had woken up there. However, if she ever asked Bill he would always deny it and look at her with a wide smile, like he always did.

Laura had woken up minutes before, but it wasn't until the water hit her that she fully opened her eyes. The hot water streaming down her bare skin awoke each and every part of her body, also including her little girl. She loved that sensation. It made all the tiredness her muscles carried go away; it helped her get a fresh start every day.

Still under the water, she heard someone rattling in the kitchen. She smiled widely; it was Bill preparing their breakfast. He always prepared it; even when he had an early shift. Probably he was still on boxers and one of his old tanks, barefoot. Around her, when they were at their rooms, he was always _just Bill_; it was something she loved about him.

Suddenly, she heard the phone ringing. Bill, though, immediately took it. It was probably from the CIC, what would mean their breakfast together would be cut short. She really didn't want that.

* * *

Laura exited the bathroom still buttoning her blouse. The table was already lain and a wonderful smell came from the kitchen. Bill immediately appeared through the door, carrying two dishes. She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply, trying to capture the smell. "Hmm... You made breakfast?" she asked him with a smile.

He left the dishes on the table and acted as a gentleman, holding her chair as she sat in it helping her get closer to the table. Then, he rested both his hands over her shoulders and lowered himself to kiss her cheek. He loved her soft skin. On his way back up, he stopped near her ear. "Don't I make it every morning?" he replied in a whisper before going to sit on his own chair.

She smiled and watched how he started eating. "No" she stated. Bill looked up from his dish; her voice had been too steady to be joking. "I believe you order it in everyday and make me believe you've done it yourself." He was looking at her, concerned. Did she really believe that? But then, he noticed the small smile that was playing on her lips as she grabbed her first bite. The hum that left her mouth after she savoured it was something remarkable. "It's too good to be done by you, Admiral" she teased him.

He locked his eyes with hers' and pretended to be offended. "That was nasty, Madame President... Have you ever been told you can be pretty evil?"

It was Laura's turn to pretend to be offended. She continued eating and looked at her food, ignoring him. "Yes, I have" she answered after a while. Then, she raised her eyes again and set a smirk on her lips. "My students never specially liked having homework or exams, so I would hear it quite often in fact." She continued eating her delicious breakfast in silence, but something was bothering her. She was curious about the phone call Bill had taken and he hadn't mentioned anything about it. "What was that call about?" she ended up asking, seeing that he had no intention to mention it.

Bill raised his head and looked at her confused. "Which call?"

She sighed and rolled her eyes. There had only been _one _phone call. "The one you took while I was in the shower. I heard the ringing..." she clarified, hoping that he would give her a satisfying answer.

Now it was Bill's turn to sigh. "Oh, _that_ call... It was from Saul" he sated. Then, he casted away his fork and sobered up. It wasn't something e could joke about. "This morning Baltar and his groupies attacked the temple and the marines had to get involved." He saw the concern in Laura's eyes and quickly opened his mouth again, trying to calm her. "Nothing grave happened; they only scared the priestess and the dozen of people that were there, praying." He watched how she nodded and looked into the empty space. He could almost hear her brain thinking. "Baltar's back at home, in the brig again."

Laura exhaled all the air she had in her lungs. They should've seen that coming. "Desecration of a temple. It's his revenge for what happened to him yesterday evening." She had been sure they would soon hear about Baltar again after the trial, yes she never expected it would take that long.

"It was brutal" Bill stated. "I have my personnel trying to track down anything on the Sons of Ares. But nobody's talking."

She had to keep herself from chuckling. Of course nobody would talk. "The thing is that Baltar knows that there are religious hardliners in Dogsville, but he continues to provoke."

Bill looked at her with a concerned expression on his face. "We just can't have a religious war in this Fleet."

She quickly nodded her head. "Oh please, no." She finished the last bite of breakfast she had left and casted away the dish. "Then the whole damn thing will become our frakkin' responsibility, yours and mine." They couldn't let something like that happen, especially given the circumstances. With her pregnant and living at Galactica, Lee recently added to the Quorum, and Starbuck out in space with the Demetrius. Her and Bill's family was too invested if something were to happen. "Seriously, Bill, we have thirty thousand people left and they're not happy unless they're kicking each other's teeth in. This is what we've become?"

He quickly noticed her disappointment and resignation. He couldn't let that happen. "No, it's him. Baltar has an uncanny way of stirring up all the crap." That earned a shy smile from Laura. "I wonder if he'd be willing to stay in lockdown indefinitely, for his own safety."

Laura looked at him and shook her head. It wasn't an option. "And make a martyr out of him? No way. Those girly, groupie, sex whatever-they-are, they already think he's a God." It was more the way she said it than what she had actually said –although that had helped- what made Bill chuckle. Laura's smile reassured him it hadn't been a wrong move. "We should do something about it..."

He thought about it some instants before talking. "So we kick him off of the Galactica."

She quickly shook her head, but her answer didn't come immediately. She was considering all the options they had. Bill observed her while she was going through all of them, completely focused. Finally, she opened her mouth again. "No, I want him close." She had a plan. "I'm going to the brig" she stated.

Bill looked at her with confusion in his eyes. "You want to see him?"

She smirked. "No, that isn't something I'll enjoy. But I want him to see me."

He looked at her even more confused than before. "Are you sure?" He couldn't imagine why she would want that man to see her.

Laura sighed and rested a hand over her belly. "Yes, I am." Her other hand reached across the table to meet with Bill's warm and firm one. "Why are you asking?"

He looked at her and stroked her delicate fingers. Lying to her would be of no use; she didn't have a reason to lie to her. He was only concerned he would sound too possessive. "I don't want you to be there alone with him..."

She smiled and captured his hand with hers'. "Bill, I am not made of crystal; I won't simply break if I'm left unattended. I am fine." Then, she brought her other hand to meet with his'. "It was two weeks ago," she said with almost a whisper, a chill running down her spine when she remembered the moment when she woke up in sickbay, totally unaware of what had happened, "and I am being more careful than ever... I'll be alright."

Bill smiled and allowed her hands to fully capture his fingers. "I'm sorry. It's just I... I don't want you of our girl to get hurt."

"I'll take my security detail with me; they will be outside the cell." She paused for an instant and allowed herself to get lost in his deep blue eyes. They always felt like home. "I won't let Baltar or any of his people ever lay a finger on me, you can be sure of it."

He stood up from his chair and walked towards her. He stopped behind his wife and rested both his hands over his shoulders. "I know, I know..." He smiled slightly and lowered both his hands to her arms. "But I can't help but be concerned. If anything ever happened to you and I wasn't there, I would never forgive myself... I would love to always be by your side."

Laura turned from her seat and looked at him straight into his eyes, wearing a smile much like Bill's own. "It's a bad thing both our occupations take too much of our times to make it possible..."

Bill's smile grew even wider. "No. It's actually a good thing." He noticed Laura's confusion and brought one of his hands to gently caress her jaw. "If both of us had more spare time and didn't have any obligation, we wouldn't be doing anything else than being together; we wouldn't exit this room. We would forget about everything else."

She smiled sadly. "Maybe you're right. But still, I think I wouldn't really complain."


	27. XXVII

_I'll try to upload weekly (or sometimes bi-weekly) from now on. _  
_I'd like to thank all people who have reviewed so far. I try to reply you all, but I think I might have forgotten to do so a couple of times... (Sorry!)  
_

* * *

**XXVII.**

The first thing she noticed when she stepped into the room was that the man was sleeping peacefully, as if he wasn't being held in the brig. When one of the marines closed the cell's door loudly behind her, the sound of it made the man jump in his sleep. He quickly opened his eyes and looked towards the source of the sound. "Were you asleep?" she asked, making him look at her.

"What is it this time?" he asked, trying to mock her but not succeeding. Then, he blinked. "Here to strip-search me?" he tried to mock her again, but when he noticed the smirk in Laura's lips, he sobered up. She was the one who was in charge of the situation. That was why she was there. "Or could it possibly be that your presence here means that the President has been made aware of my situation."

"It's being looked into" she replied as monotonous as she was able to. She didn't want to give the man the satisfaction to believe that she thought that what he was doing was right. It wasn't.

He looked at her doubtful. "Is it really?"

"Aggressively" she quickly replied. "Now here's the thing." She took several steps towards him and, when she was close enough, she knelt down. "I want you to look at me, Gaius" she said lowering her tone. The man closed his eyes. "Just look at me" she insisted. Baltar reluctantly opened his eyes and looked at her. She brought one of her hands to rest upon her belly and caressed it absentmindedly. "This is my daughter. I'm pregnant" her voice became softer. "I'm sure you heard about what happened two weeks ago. Now, if you look in my eyes ..." She removed her glasses and rested them, with both her hands, over her belly. Then, she looked straight into the man's eyes. He was trying to avoid her. "Go ahead, look." That time he did as she had asked him. "You can still probably see it."

His eyes softened. Maybe he didn't like her, but it mean he wanted to see her or her child harmed. "I'm very sorry."

Laura quickly shook her head "No, I don't want your pity; I'm still doing my job. In fact, I'm gonna aggressively pursue the men that attacked you, and I'm going to limit the size of public assemblies to protect your people, but..." she looked at him and plastered a little smirk on her lips before carrying on. "My pregnancy isn't going to end anytime soon, I've still got some more months to go... I've gotten kind of curious as to what that's going to be like, and so I did some research. And," she caressed her belly and smiled widely "there are some people who say that when pregnant women are getting closer to the birth, they just don't care as much about rules and laws and conventional morality."

Baltar stared at her blatantly. "Are you threatening me?"

She took the smile out of her lips and shook her head. "No no. I'm just saying have a quiet life, and I'll have a quiet pregnancy. And everyone will be happy. It's just that I'm not in the mood any longer to indulge you" Laura stated. She was really done with all that. All she wanted was to have some quiet time, something that had been a fiction since the destruction of the Colonies. New Caprica had been something resembling _a quiet time_, but the sensation didn't last long; it quickly turned into the contrary. After all of that, she felt she really deserved it. It would be nice to take a breath and relax, and to take the time to enjoy her pregnancy. But instead she was there, with Baltar. "And that's... all." Laura stood up, quickly balancing herself to keep from falling, and walked towards the door. While she waited for the marines' to open it, she turned towards the man. "And you are being released, so... stay safe."

* * *

Dealing with the Quorum never was something Laura enjoyed, but after having spent part of her morning visiting Baltar, the prospect of it was even less attractive than it usually was. She was sure they would have heard about Baltar and the measures she had taken. In a ship of Galactica's size, and with its quantity of soldiers and marines, news like that travelled really fast. She had made the measure official at mid-morning; it wouldn't be strange to think that the whole Quorum knew about it right then, even if it was only several hours later. News _always_ travelled fast; and they travelled even faster when they concerned Baltar.

As she had predicted, it was the first thing mentioned at the meeting. As it lately happened with all the delicate matters, Lee became the other Delegates' spokesman and was the first to address the matter. "Of course you have authority over emergency measures, but you bulldozed this through after the session was closed."

Since she had first become President, Laura had learnt to predict the Quorum's reactions and to know what their objections would be, so their muttered words of agreement didn't come as a surprise. She knew they wouldn't agree. Any of them had been brave enough to be the first to talk, so they turned to Lee, like they always did since he had joined the Quorum. She sighed and looked straight to Lee. "It's a crowd control measure" she said with an authoritative voice, succeeding at making them close their mouths. "I also authorized the repair of a cargo elevator. Do you want to talk about that too?"

"Crowd control?" Lee quickly struck back. "Looks to me like it was pretty well designed purely to stop Gaius Baltar's organization."

She had to fight back the urge to burst out laughing. Organization? "You mean _his cult_?"

"Well, his _cult_ was attacked" Lee conceded, making Laura's lips curl up with a little smirk. "And from what I'm hearing around the fleet, it was pretty brutal."

"It was brutal. Exactly." Laura talked calmly. She wanted them to understand the reason behind the measure she had taken, but knowing the Quorum it would be of no use. They were too stubborn, and with Lee among them it would be even harder. "And this measure is designed explicitly to protect those people. If they aren't gathering en masse, they aren't provoking resentment."

"It limits his group, while permitting more mainstream worship" Lee stated, as if he was talking the absolute truth. His voice was tinged with superiority.

In moments like that, Laura doubted if she had made the right decision. But that wasn't what bothered her the most, because she was sure he would eventually become the leader she had seen in him, he had the potential. What bothered her the most was the way he was talking to her and the way he was kind-of defying her, as it made her doubt if he had really taken her as part of his family or if he liked her at all. There were ways and _ways _of doing and saying the things, and how he had chosen to do it was quite disrespectful.

She breathed heavily and answered him. "Wherever Gaius Baltar is, violence happens. And if he doesn't cause it, he draws it." She looked at him and found him staring back. "My job, Mr. Adama, is and always will be, to keep the people _safe_." She kept their eyes locked for a few instants, trying to make her words sink in.

One of the other Delegates quickly stood up. "Madame President, I have to wonder if this resolution couldn't be used against other offshoot religious groups."

Laura calmly looked at her. "Absolutely not." She smiled slightly. She had been sure questions like that would appear. "Gaius Baltar is a special case, you know that."

"And we're making him a special case" Lee objected.

Laura looked at him again. "And how are we doing that?"

"We're fuelling his argument" he quickly shot back, nearly cutting her off. "I mean, after all, is he preaching violence? Immoral acts?"

"I don't know" she answered truthfully. She didn't want to know anything more than the strictly necessary about it all. "I haven't been to one of his... uh... what are they called? _Services_?"

That same Delegate started talking again, rising her voice. "It's not that far from what some of our own Mithras followers believe."

The Delegate from Geminon also stood up. "We have Mithrassaries among the Geminese. Can this order be applied to them?"

Laura looked at both women and breathed deeply, trying to calm herself a little bit. "Clear your heads" with those words, said with conviction and her deathly glare she made everyone sit again. "We are talking about _Gaius Baltar_. Everyone," she stopped for an instant and looked at every one of the people sitting around the table "_everyone_ in this room experienced tragedy at New Caprica. Have we forgotten?"

The first delegate to talk opened her mouth again, without standing up. "Will you open this order to a full Quorum vote?"

"No!" Laura quickly replied. Her tone left no room for doubt; she wouldn't back off about that concrete matter. '_Have they all forgotten how it was when Baltar had power? Am I the only one who remembers New Caprica and the atrocities we had to face?_'

"We can override, Madam President" Lee stated. "I cannot let this stand."

She looked at her step-son and didn't really know how to feel about him. Was he brave for speaking what he felt was the right thing? Was he just a fool trying to prove her that she was wrong? Or was he just doing the same thing he did with his father when she first met the two of them? When they first met she was sure he liked her and she trusted him, he was the first person she told about her cancer. They had lost their close relationship after a while. Now, she was married to his father and carrying his sister, and she wasn't sure he liked her at all; specially judging by how he was defying her. What had happened to them?

She rested both her hands on the table and stood up, her gaze fix in Lee's eyes. "You can override, and you cannot let this stand, Mr. Adama? Then you open it up to a vote. And if you strike this down, you can all go back to your constituents and you can tell them what you've done, and _we_, the people, will have triumphed. But think about what it's gonna cost you." She felt tears burning behind her eyes and fought to keep them at bay. Damn those pregnancy hormones. "Because every single one of you remember what it was like when Gaius Baltar had political power. And you should be terrified to think about what this man will do with blind religious devotion. So go ahead" she challenged them. "Vote." And with that last word, she left the room.

* * *

"I am _done_ with all of it, really." Laura had just closed the hatch behind her. Then, she walked towards the coach, where Bill was sitting. "Sometimes I wonder if any of them has any bit of common sense left..."

He didn't say a word. Instead, he patted the empty spot beside him in the coach and waited until Laura sat there. He closed the book he had between his hands and left it over the coffee table. He sat his glasses at the top of the bridge of his nose and examined her. She looked exhausted. Unlike him, who had taken a morning shift and hadn't gone to the CIC in the afternoon, she had worked. Her meeting with the Quorum had been far too short to have developed as usual. It always took her several hours, and this time it had taken her an hour at top.

Bill captured her face between his hands and gave a gentle peck to her lips. "What happened?" he finally asked, separating their faces.

She closed her eyes and sighed. Her head quickly buried itself on the crook of his neck and her hands rested over his firm chest. In return, Bill's arms encircled her disappearing waist and he planted a kiss on her forehead. She had heard his question; she would answer it when she felt it was the right moment.

Her fingers started drawing random patterns over his chest and he felt her warm breath tickling his neck. After a while, she rested her head over his shoulder. "The Quorum. Lee..." she whispered. Bill didn't say a thing, he allowed her to explain everything to him. She told him all of it, being answered only by hums. When she finished, she raised her head to look at him and quickly met his eyes. "I can't understand why they don't understand it..."

Bill smiled widely and brought one of his hands to caress her cheek. "Don't worry... It's the right thing to do."

She shook her head and closed her eyes. "No, it isn't." When she opened her eyes again she saw the confusion in his eyes, and that made her smile return. "But it is the wise thing to do."

He brought her body closer to him with the arm that was across her back. "If you say so..."

Laura moved under his embrace to fit her body to his arms. Then, she lifted her legs and rested them over the coffee table. The hand that was on her cheek travelled to her belly, and she covered it with both of hers' as a big smile crept into her lips. Something was wrong with him; he never was that quiet. "What happened, Bill?"

He started rubbing her belly lovingly. "I went to Joe's bar and met Chief Tyrol there..." He didn't speak for a while, as if he was trying to find the right words or a way to explain what had happened. Laura's hands started caressing his arm, the one that was on her belly. She caressed it gently and squeezed it, trying to comfort him in any way she could. He suddenly started talking again. "We... disagreed. Nothing serious. He's still grieving for his wife... But it left me thinking..." He drew her body as close to his' as he could. "You're not '_someone I got stuck with' _or '_the best of limited options_'... I've been married before, Laura, and I've been with other women. But if I was given the chance to choose, it would _always_ be you."


	28. XXVIII

_It took me a little longer than I expected to have this one finished. But well, not really that much longer, so I hope you'll all forgive me. _  
_The next chapter will be on by the end of next week probably... I've got a crazy weekend coming on.  
By the way, consider this chapter my 18th birthday present to all of you! (YAY! Tomorrow's my birthday!)  
**  
**_

* * *

**XXVIII. **

_She was completely surrounded by darkness, but she wasn't scared by it. It embraced her. In fact, it made her feel safe. With her eyes wide-open, unable to see anything, she started thinking, trying to discover which was that all too familiar surrounding. _

_Laura quickly noticed she wasn't standing. She was sitting down somewhere, in a cushioned chair. _

_She looked around her, her eyes slowly adapting to the darkness. Soon enough, she felt a sparkle of life moving inside her belly. A wide smile crept into her lips and both her hands quickly moved to that spot. _

_When her eyes rose from her belly, she looked around her once more. The walls had started to glow with a golden light, slowly becoming brighter and brighter, and the red carpet under her feet was now evident. _

_She battered her eyelashes. A low tune started playing somewhere in the Opera House. She closed her eyes, trying to concentrate on it. When she opened her eyes again, she was standing in the middle of a hall. The tune became a little bit louder, and with that she felt her baby moving more noticeably. _

_Laura started following the tune, walking across what seemed an endless corridor. After a while, she found a crossroad. She turned her head around, trying to see where she had come from and, as she turned it back again, she caught the look of a tiny red-headed figure. Quickly, she walked towards it, but it had already disappeared. _

_The tune started playing even louder, and she started to walk again, following its' source. She soon found herself in crossroad again, and that red-headed shadow appeared again. This time she was sure she had seen it. _

_She increased her peace, chasing after it, but as she arrived at the corridor, it had disappeared into thin air. _

_The music was becoming louder each time she saw the shadow, and her baby was also becoming more nervous and moving much more each time. _

_At some point, she tried to start running after it; but her body didn't allow her to do so. She was too heavy. Her belly was too big. She wasn't able to take deep breaths. _

_She started panting, trying to regain her breath when, all of a sudden, she became surrounded by complete darkness._

* * *

She awoke gasping for air and with a thin layer of cold sweat covering her forehead. It took her a while to calm down, and it only happened because she had Bill's warmth beside her. One of his hands was resting over her hip and the other was on her belly, both of them caressing her and drawing patterns over her skin through her nightgown and the blanket he had thrown over her when he had arrived from the CIC. He had found her sleeping at their bed, and he just couldn't keep from joining her.

After a while, Bill approached his lips to her ear. "Are you alright?" he whispered, not wanting to disturb her. He knew she was. It had been one of her dreams.

"Yes" she muttered in response as she moved her body as close to Bill's as she could, seeking peace. He quickly understood what she was looking for, and pressed his body against hers'. None of them talked for a while. It had been long since she had one of those kind of dreams; she had almost forgotten how they were like. "Why now?" she asked in a whisper, not expecting any answer.

Bill caressed her hip through all the layers that separated them. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Laura smiled sadly and turned her head towards Bill. "No. Not really." Her voice was still hoarse from sleep, and her eyes were drowsy, but he saw her smile widen when both of them felt their daughter's kick.

"She's just said '_Hi, mommy. Welcome back from Dreamland_', hasn't she?" he told her with a wide grin on his lips.

She chuckled wholeheartedly. "Hmmm... Maybe... But it was more something like a '_hi daddy_' to me." She rolled onto her back to face him and placed one of her hands on his cheek, making him smile. "How was your day, Admiral?"

"Pretty busy, Madam President. But, you know... it's worth it if it means I am allowed to go _home_ earlier." He mirrored her position and rested a hand on her cheek too. "And yours?"

"You want the truth?" she asked with a small smile. He quickly nodded. "Shitty. The Quorum's getting on my nerves with this whole Baltar thing..."

"Shhh... Let's leave it for later" he suggested. He could sense what was probably going on in her mind, and it wasn't the best idea to bring it up right then. "Wouldn't you like to get some dinner first?"

* * *

"Lee has no idea of what he has done... He really has no idea" Laura said, looking sadly into Bill's eyes.

He stroked her beautiful legs, resting over his lap, and watched Laura for an instant, reclined over the coach, with some pillows under her back so she was somehow sitting up. That way, she was able to look at him. "Are you sure of it?"

Laura smiled sadly and started rubbing her belly with one hand that had been resting over it. Lee was Bill's son; they had had their ups and downs, but their relationship had improved quite a lot since the trial happened. Lee was her step-son; they had had a good relationship when they had first met and during quite a long time in the past, but now Laura wasn't sure of what to think. "There are pragmatic realities he refuses to face." She didn't appreciate him challenging her in front of the Quorum; not when they were now _family_ and when she had chosen him to replace her.

Bill smiled. "Well, that's a problem, of course." He broke the visual contact with her and focused on her feet; her poor swollen feet and ankles. He took one of them, the one that was closer to him, and bent her knee to put it at good reach. Then, he started massaging it gently, giving his best. At first, Laura tried to stretch her leg again, but his skilful work made her change her mind. She allowed her body to sink into the pillows and relaxed herself, encouraging Bill to continue with her little hums and moans of pleasure. After a while, she returned her leg to its' original position and started massaging her other foot. He looked at her in the eye and opened his mouth, nearly whispering. "He's doing what he thinks is right."

She smiled widely. "Well yeah, he's Lee." In matters like that, she knew Lee nearly as much as his father did. He always acted according to what he thought was the right thing, without giving it a second thought. "Thing is it probably is the right thing," she admitted once again, just like she had done the day before, "but... sometimes the right thing is a luxury." She met his eyes and smiled. "And it can have profoundly dangerous consequences. And yet it's almost as if he doesn't want that to be true..." Bill smiled back at her with a sad smile, and that stabbed Laura right in her heart. "Okay, I gotta stop this..." she said with a small grin on her lips, "I'm not supposed to get upset during pregnancy."

He caressed the calf of her bent leg and brought it down to its' original position, smiling widely at his wife. She was right.

Laura rose a little bit from her position and observed him for a while. For a moment, she imagined how things would have been at that same moment if the two of them hadn't been allowed to do the _luxury_, the right thing. She would have probably been alone and miserable, living her pregnancy all by herself, thinking how it would have been to have Bill by her side. Indeed, she had been lucky. Her hormones quickly started to translate her thoughts into a lump in her throat and some tears that were threatening to leave her eyes. Bill quickly noticed it. "You okay?" he asked with concern in his voice.

She quickly nodded. "It's nothing. I'm happy, that's all" she assured him, but her voice broke at the end of her sentence and a couple of tears ran down her cheeks.

Bill shifted his position and brushed away her tears with his fingertips. "You hormones, right?" Laura nodded and tried to choke away her tears. "Don't worry, darling. Let it all out." He gently caressed her cheek and looked straight into her deep green eyes. "I'm here by your side. I won't leave."

Laura grinned and gently stroked the hand he had on her cheek. She inhaled deeply and tried to calm herself. Her eyes quickly travelled to the coffee table, where 'Searider Falcon' was sitting. Bill followed her gaze and noticed the book too. "Will you read the next chapter?" she asked with her voice as steady as she could manage.

He looked at her with a stern look in his face, as if he was offended by her request. But the small smile he was trying to hide gave him away. She had to fight back her urge to chuckle. "I must warn you that I'm getting into the part that I haven't read yet."

She looked at him with a rosen eyebrow, feeling much better. "Oh, dear. Are you going to be able to continue?" she teased him, with her velvety voice.

He smiled widely and reached for his glasses and the book. Then, he waited until she rested her legs upon his lap again. "Chapter Seven: '_The raft was not as seaworthy as I had hoped. The waves repeatedly threatened to swamp it. I wasn't afraid to die._" He looked at her and smiled sadly. She had closed her eyes and had both hands resting over her belly. She looked gorgeous, more than ever."_I was afraid of the emptiness that I felt inside._" He closed the book. He knew the words of by heart. It wasn't like he had lied when he told her that he had never finished the book... but ever since they started reading the book, he found himself reading it over and over on his own when she wasn't around. That made him feel her closer to him. "_I couldn't feel anything, and that's what scared me._" He paused again, only for an instant. He wanted her to listen to those words closely. "_It came into my thoughts. It filled them. It felt good._" Amused, he noticed how Laura, still with her eyes closed, curved her lips up.


	29. XXIX

_A guest reviewer made me a question in the last chapter, and I really don't have any other place to answer him/her, so I'm just going to do it here. Yes, English is not my first language. Actually, it's my third one after Catalan (my mother tongue) and Spanish__, and I am still learning it._

_I'd really like to thank all of you for taking your time to read my story and for reviewing. I really, really appreciate it!  
_

* * *

**XXIX. **

If there was one thing Laura hated about her _condition_ was her constant visits to sickbay. Well, she didn't exactly _hate_ it, she didn't like being trapped there and she had never liked anyone telling her what to do. She didn't take authority all that well, and Cottle always behaved like he was the little king of sickbay; there wasn't any higher authority than him between those four walls.

Ever since her _accident_ she had been behaving perfectly, but it didn't spare her from her weekly check-ups. Convincing Bill he didn't need to be at all of them had been a tough work. Eventually, he had understood it, or at least he had pretended to.

When Laura arrived at sickbay, she was informed by one of the nurses that the Doctor was busy with one of his patients. At first she sat in a chair, waiting, but she quickly got up again. There were tons of things she was supposed to be doing, even if most of them only involved sitting at her desk reading through reports. She couldn't just be there doing nothing. It was not a thing Laura Roslin would do; at least while she had enough energy to be on her feet without yawning. There wasn't much to do, so she just started pacing around the room. Cottle had told her some walking would do her good, hadn't he?

Soon, she overheard someone talking, and that made her change her direction. As she got closer to the source of the sound, she recognised Ishay's voice. "I'll just come back later when you're feeling a little better." The nurse was clearly frustrated.

Laura stood in her spot, without moving as she listened a woman quickly answering the nurse's words. "Can't you read a chart? I'm not gonna feel better." The woman wasn't in a good mood at all, she could easily notice that, just the same way she could easily understand that.

When the nurse raised her head and saw Laura, she nodded. The last thing that woman needed was being alone, and she had nothing to do while she waited for Cottle. Laura walked through the curtains and looked at the woman in the bed. "Hello" she said almost happily. The woman looked at her, and Laura could immediately tell she had recognised her. If she didn't want her there, she would say so and she would leave.

The woman rolled her eyes and looked once again towards Laura. "Oh… Oh, great. Now the President." The woman's voice was full of sarcasm, but she didn't show any sign of wanting Laura to leave, so she took a couple of steps towards her.

Laura smiled. "They're having me come here every week, and doctor Cottle always makes me wait, managing to make me waste the whole morning in here."

"Just be thankful they haven't put a catheter in you." The woman smiled slightly. "All this, just to… keeping me alive for a few more weeks... It's so pointless."

The woman sounded extremely defeated; she had given up. She didn't feel like fighting anymore. Laura took a better look of her and saw it written all over her. Her exhaustion, her paleness, her skinny complexion. Laura easily recognized the woman's illness. She knew what it was like. She had been at that point. She had almost died. So she didn't want that woman to lose any bit of her hope; it should be tha last thing anyone should lose. "No, it's not pointless" she said with a thin voice. After that, she fell silent. Suddenly, she noticed the wireless was on, and that the voice coming from it was Baltar's. "And I'm sure it isn't helping listening to Gaius Baltar..." She immediately moved towards the machine to turn it down, but the woman stopped her."

"No. _No_, no. Don't touch that!" the woman shouted, making Laura jump. She quickly dropped the wireless back onto the table and looked at the woman is shock. "Who the frak do you think you are?" She looked even angrier than before and nearly on the verge of tears. "Leave me alone!" Laura looked at the woman for an instant before disappearing through the curtains. Maybe it hadn't been a good idea.

Once she was out in the room again, she breathed deeply, trying to calm herself. Seeing that woman like that made her remember that time she suffered from that same illness; she had miraculously recovered, but the cure could have well not worked. She had been lucky.

* * *

Minutes later Cottle found her sitting in one of the room's chairs. "Young lady" he said, making her raise her eyes and see him.

Laura quickly dried the wet tracks that crossed her cheeks and looked at the man blushing slightly. She had been caught, but it wasn't too late to pretend it didn't happen. "Cottle" she acknowledged him.

"I'm sorry it took so long…" the man started, but Laura quickly cut him off.

"No. It's all right. You don't have to apologise, there are lots of people in the Fleet that need you more than I do" she said with a smile.

"Okay, Ma'am President, if you say so." The doctor guided her to one of the beds and closed the curtains behind him, leaving the two of them alone. "I won't be tricked like this. I know you paid visit to one of my patients, Emily Kowalski… Has it got something to do with it?"

She sat on the bed and caressed her belly with both her hands. "Emily?" she said with a thin voice. "How's she? Is it…" she paused and gulped. "Is it cancer?"

Cottle doubted for a moment, but he finally nodded. "Yes, it is. She's been is sickbay for a while now. It has… spread."

Laura felt a lump form in her neck. She had been right. The illness that had once eaten herself up from the inside now was doing the same to that woman, Emily, and surely to lots of other people throughout the Fleet. "How much?" was the only thing she managed to ask.

"A couple of weeks? A month? Maybe a little bit more…" He sighed heavily and looked at her defeated. "We can't really know for sure… It depends on how it spreads… You know how it can be…"

She smiled sadly and looked at him in the eye. "Yes, I do."

The old man walked towards her. "We're doing all that's in our hands, really. With everyone that comes here…"

She looked at her belly and caressed it gently. "I know, doctor, and I am really thankful for it." She fell silent for a moment while she focused all her attentions on all the tiny movements she felt inside her belly. She followed the path of her little girl's tiny feet with her palms. "I sincerely don't know where I would be right now if it wasn't for you…"

"Oh, come on" he quickly said, trying to stop her. It wouldn't have worked usually, but it did that time.

* * *

Laura's check-up didn't take long; it never did. They only kept on doing it to be sure everything was fine with her and her daughter. It was more for keeping Bill out of worry than for a real need.

"Everything's alright, young lady" Cottle said as he tried to mask a shy smile. He always pretended to be grumpy and kind-of insensitive, but Laura could see further; he truly cared about his patients. Over the time, he had developed something anyone could've never even imagined; a soft spot for her. She had been a tough and stubborn patient, she had tried to do things her on way and sometimes she had been just impossible, but all that looked like endearing qualities to him now. The fact that she had become the Old Man's significant other only added up to all her qualities. "I know you've been following my advice, but you should really consider reducing your job."

Her mouth was open. "Even more?" she asked in disbelief. Her job had been already cut during the last weeks. Now, with her office next to her quarters, all she had to do every day was go there, sit in her desk and go through the reports. Her meetings had been severely cut, most of them were taken by members of her office and she was only left with the most important ones and with the Quorum meetings.

Cottle looked at her and nodded. "Yes, even more. You should try to take the stress out of you. But, well... I'm only your doctor, so you're probably gonna ignore me… Maybe I should talk with your husband?"

"No" she quickly stated. "There will be no need. The Lords of Kobol know if you talk with him I'll end up being forced to spend some weeks signing reports from inside my bed…"

* * *

After her visit with Cottle finished completely, Laura went to her office. It had taken longer than she had expected and, even though she hadn't really done anything in the whole morning, she was feeling pretty tired. Tory received her and guided her to the desk, where some piles of reports were already waiting for her.

"How did it go?" the younger woman asked with a smile.

Laura sat in her chair and closed her eyes. Her lips curled up. "Well," she said letting out a sigh and caressing her belly, "it went well."

Tory walked towards her. "You look like you could use some hours of sleep right now."

"Oh, I could" the redhead replied letting out a giggle. Her eyes were still closed. "It would be great, wouldn't it? But I haven't done anything today yet… And work's not gonna do itself." Laura opened her eyes and smiled.

The younger woman walked towards the desk and pointed one of the piles of papers. "I've taken the liberty to classify all the paperwork. This pile is has all the urgent matters;" she then pointed another pile, "this one has all the measures that need your approval;" she pointed yet another pile, "and this one has everything that can wait."

Laura smiled widely. "Thank you Tory. You're an angel. I don't know what I'll be doing without you." The other woman shook her head and moved to her corner of the room.

After a while, the younger woman rose her eyes from her own work. "Oh, Madam President, I forgot to tell you I received a phone call earlier this morning. The Admiral wanted to know how your visit to sickbay was and he wanted you to know he would be free at lunchtime. Do you want me to phone or…" Laura cut her off.

"No. Get him on the phone and then give it to me" she said smiling slightly.

* * *

Time went by fast, and soon enough it was lunchtime. Laura would spend the afternoon in her quarters with Bill, so she had to take all the work with her. "So I guess just pack up everything that's left to do."

Laura raised her eyes from the reports she had on her hands and looked Tory. "Pack up all of these drafts." She stopped for an instant and tried to supress a yawn, but she didn't succeed. "I'm gonna have plenty of time on my hands this afternoon, so pack it up." She smiled widely at the younger woman.

Tory quickly started packing all the files in silence. Suddenly she raised her head, as if she had noticed she was supposed to say something else. "It is nice that you get to spend all this time together. He must be really excited about it all."

The older woman's smile widened. "Oh, _yes_. He is. And so am I." Laura yawned again, but this time she didn't try to supress it, she only covered her open mouth with one of her hands.

"I really doubt you'll get much work done this afternoon" Tory said with a playful smile on her lips. "If the Admiral sees you yawning he'll immediately order you to bed…"

Laura returned the smile. "You're right." She paused for an instant and brought both her hands to rest over the curve of her belly. "In this matter, things aren't going to get any better in the upcoming months." She let her words sink in and looked directly into the younger woman's eyes. "I'm gonna need you to really keep an eye on things from now on."

Tory looked at her and smiled playfully again. "Don't worry. I'll make sure our friend from Picon sees the error of his ways."

"I'm not just talking about the Quorum, Tory." Laura shook her head. No, she wasn't worried about any particular matter they had between hands at the moment, or about any upcoming meeting. It was much more than that. "There was a time a few months ago when you seemed overwhelmed by the stresses and the pressures of this job." Laura looked at the woman with a serious look on her face. "But lately you've really stepped up. And I'm gonna be demanding even more of that from you in the days to come, because I'm not quite sure of what I'm doing right now. I'm sort of…." She wasn't at her hundred per cent, her hormones liked to turn her crazy and her brain seemed to enjoy playing tricks on her. So yes, she needed someone to check everything to be sure she didn't make any mistake. "I'm just gonna need you to keep a keen eye on every single thing that comes across this desk."

The younger woman looked at the President and saw she was nearly on the verge of tears. She quickly reacted. "I appreciate your confidence, Madame President."

Laura nodded and smiled slightly. "Thank you." Suddenly, the door of the room opened. It had to be either someone close to her or some urgent matter; otherwise her security detail wouldn't have let whoever it was enter. When she saw who it was, a big smile settled on her lips. "We were just finishing packing."

Bill nodded and gave her one of his beautiful genuine smiles. "Don't worry. You don't need to rush. Lunch won't be ready in until about ten minutes."


	30. XXX

_Last week has been pretty crazy, and I've still got a couple of crazy weeks ahead... But writing is clearly the best way to take a break for me, so there's a new chapter._

_As always, I really appreciate all your support!_

* * *

**XXX. **

The following week, when Laura got to sickbay again, she was immediately informed she would have to wait for Cottle. He was busy visiting other patients, just like he always was at that time of the day. She had more than once wondered whether it was only a coincidence or they did it on purpose, to take her out of her office for most of the morning.

It had almost become a ritual; she would wake up a little later than she always did and she would go to sickbay, where she would spend her time until Cottle mercifully decided to show up and do his check-up. That day wasn't different.

She soon got tired of sitting down. Just like she had done the previous week, she stood up and started pacing around the room. While she was walking slowly, from one side of the room to the other, she noticed most curtains were closed. All those people behind them were ill. Suddenly, she found herself thinking about her previous week's encounter. Was that woman still there, lying in a bed behind the thick curtains?

Meeting her had impacted Laura. Over the last week, she had often been unable to concentrate on whatever it was she was doing and instead found herself thinking about Emily Kowakski, about her illness, and remembering the time she had that disease. But above all, she had the image of the woman shouting at her, angry, stuck in her memory. It oddly made her relate to the woman; it was something she wasn't able to understand. The woman had been on her thoughts all that time, and all she knew about her was her name, her illness and that she listened Baltar's speeches through her wireless.

"Madame President" said a voice coming out from nowhere, taking Laura off of her thoughts. She battered her eyelashes and immediately blushed as she realised she had been standing there motionless for a while. She looked around and noticed a half-opened curtain. When she peered inside the curtains, she found Emily looking back at her. "I wanted to apologize for the last time we met" the woman quickly said. "I-I have good moments and bad."

"And that was which?" Laura teased keeping a straight face. Luckily for her, Emily apparently was in one of her good moments and found it amusing. Laura smiled widely in return, happy to see that the other woman was still in the mood for jokes.

"Come in" Emily said. Laura, however, wasn't really sure if it really was a good idea after what happened when they met. "Come in" the other woman urged her. ·Do you want to sit down?" Laura nodded and did as she had been asked, making the mental note of not talking ill of Gaius fraking Baltar to avoid arguing with her companion. "I didn't think you would come back after what happened last week."

Laura flashed a smile towards the other woman and approached a chair to the bed. "And I wasn't sure you would want to talk to me again" she said as she sat on the chair. Laura smiled again and looked at Emily.

The woman lying on the bed grinned. "How could I refuse to talk to the only non-medical-related person who has come to see me?"

Both women smiled shyly, but none of them said a word afterwards. They really didn't know what they were supposed to say. They just stared at each other; Emily, with her arms resting on both sides of her body, and Laura with her hands clutched over her belly.

After a while, Emily blinked. "You're very lucky" she suddenly stated.

Laura, sat beside the other woman's bed, immediately felt a pang of guilt. _The cancer_. She had been miraculously cured. One of her hands quickly left its' place over her belly and moved to the bed, but it was stopped by a voice.

"No," Emily quickly said, realizing what was probably on the other woman's mind, "no." She moved her own hand to meet with Laura's. "I didn't mean _that_." The two women locked eyes and Emily immediately saw the confusion on the green eyes staring back at her. "_That_ was fate. Destiny. God's plan. Call it whatever you want…" She squeezed Laura's hand and smiled at her.

All of a sudden, Laura felt relieved. "What did you –" she started, but she quickly stopped when she clearly heard Baltar's voice coming from the wireless. She had promised herself she wouldn't talk ill about the man, but listening to his voice was making her skin crawl in disgust.

The other woman noticed Laura's discomfort immediately. "Close it if you want. I don't really mind." The woman smiled and looked at Laura, encouraging her to do so. After she did, they both spent some seconds staring at each other without saying a word. "For what it's worth," Emily said breaking the silence, "I voted for you in the last election." The woman smiled slightly. "And I don't like at all how Baltar keeps ragging on you. But that is not why I listen to him."

Laura leant towards Emily, curious of what she had to say. It was clear she wanted to talk; all she needed was someone who asked her the right questions. "Why do you listen to him?"

She curled up her lips in something resembling a smile. "I had an experience that made me rethink all my preconceptions." Emily stared into the other woman's eyes. They both stayed silent, though there was some kind of communication between the two of them. A bond. A connection. She was able to see it in Laura's eyes. She understood her, there was no doubt. It wasn't something that Emily could really understand or rationalize, she just _knew _it. "It happened the night after Cottle told me that my cancer had spread to my liver and I'd never be leaving this place" she started with a thin voice. "I was on a ferry crossing a river, and as we were approaching the other side I saw all these people standing on the bank. And when we got closer, I recognized them…" her voice broke a little, but Laura quickly took one of her hand and squeezed it tightly. Emily nodded and flashed a small smile towards her. "My parents. My sister Kathy, who died when I was twelve. My husband, my girls..." She stopped for a second and took a deep breath, looking for some strength to continue talking. "I was scared for a moment. You know, how is this happening? But then I felt it… A presence hovering all around me. Warm, loving, and... it said '_don't be scared, Emily. I'm with you. Hold my hand and we'll cross over together_'."

She stopped talking, and Laura stared into her eyes. Her dreams had never been like that, but listening to what Emily was saying was clearly ringing a bell. It sounded like something more than just a dream, but it wasn't like her first visions; those were always messy and somehow oppressive. It wasn't like her dreams now; those had some hidden meaning, they had to. There had to be a reason why she was sharing dreams with two cylons…

"And, you know," Emily said, taking Laura out of her thoughts, "I was there. I felt the cool breeze coming from the water, the spray from the bow." The woman squeezed Laura's hand and smiled slightly. "Maybe he's stumbled onto something. You know, he talks about the river that separates our world from the next. That... that there's more to this existence than we can see with our naked eye… There's a power that we can't begin to understand..."

Laura rolled her eyes. She knew perfectly that everything Baltar was saying was nothing more than bullshit; it was a mere coincidence. He didn't know a thing about that cylon god or about the Lords of Kobol. He didn't even know anything about religion or spirituality. She had to bite her tongue to keep her resolve not to talk ill about the man. "But this god that Baltar refers to, It is the cylon god. You know that, don't you?" she asked with a calmed voice.

Emily winced. "If he's the one and true god, he belongs to all of us. Otherwise, he's not much of a god, is he?" she said, ending with a small playful smile.

"Exactly" Laura said nodding, looking straight into the other woman's eyes. "He isn't much of a god. He's a fantasy." She had used the same tone she used to use with her students when they were talking nonsense. When she saw the expression in Emily's face, she realized it hadn't been a good choice.

"Oh, Laura" she quickly replied as if the woman had said some big stupidity. "And the Lords of Kobol are real" she said with sarcasm, making Laura let out a giggle. "Reigning from a metaphysical mountaintop in those silly outfits" she continued, and Laura muffled some more giggles and set a bright smile on her lips. "Zeus handing out fates out of an urn like... like they were lottery tickets. '_You're gonna work on a tylium ship. You're gonna be an admiral._ _Your family's gonna be evaporated in an attack on the colonies,_" Laura's smile quickly vanished, something Emily immediately noticed, "_but you'll survive for three more years in a moldy compartment on a freighter till your body starts to eat itself up alive'._ Those are the gods that you worship? Capricious, vindictive…"

Laura cleared her throat, trying to remove the lump that had formed there when she realized that what Emily was telling her was her story. She looked at the woman and smiled sadly at her. "But they're not meant to be taken literally" her voice came out thin, as if she feared breaking something. "They're metaphors, Emily.

Emily looked at her with a stern expression on her face. "I don't need metaphors" she stated. "I need answers."

* * *

When Bill finally got to their quarters after a quite too long workday, he found Laura half asleep, stretching in the couch, already in her nightclothes. He stopped in his tracks and looked at her, his heart skipping a beat. It sometimes still amazed him how his old, cold quarters had become their home so easily. But what shocked him every time was how beautiful she always looked; her red locks all messy around her, her half-opened lips and the hand resting protectively over her belly only helped make her look cuter.

"Hasn't anyone told you it's rude to stare?" she asked him with a big grin on her lips, her voice still hoarse from the sleep.

Bill smiled brightly and moved to sit beside her. Caressing one of her calves, he looked around the room and noticed some dishes sitting on the table. "I'm sorry… I should've phoned to tell you I would be coming late…"

Laura looked at him and shook her head, still resting against a pillow. "I understand, don't worry."

"Dinner?" he asked turning his head towards the table.

"You'll have to heat it again… It came in quite a long ago."

Bill got up and walked towards the table. On his first look he noticed something was wrong. "Dinner only for one?"

Laura closed her eyes and blushed slightly. "I'm sorry… I was hungry and didn't wait for you" she admitted. It wasn't as if she was afraid he would be upset about that, but she still felt it hadn't been quite right. When she opened her eyes again, she found Bill standing by the couch, looking at her. "Why're you staring at me again?"

"You look gorgeous" he said with his deep voice, looking at her, doing as if his words weren't out of context. Then, he leaned down to give a gentle kiss to her lips, against which Laura smiled.

"Are you okay?" she asked, with his face still hovering over her. He kissed her again, this time on her forehead. "So you won't be heating your dinner."

Bill smiled. "No. I'm not hungry" he informed her.

"I guess you'll want to sit" she said as she started to rise from her lying position to sit down. Bill immediately noticed it and helped her. "Always a gentleman…" she whispered with a wide smile. Bill simply hummed in response and took his seat beside her. Laura slipped her arm behind his back and drew her body closer to him. He caressed her beautiful red locks and pulled them behind her ears, making her rest her head over his chest.

"How was your check-up with Cottle? Everything's fine?" He smiled and brought one of his hands to caress her belly. "You didn't phone…"

He had almost sounded disappointed, and that made Laura's heart sting. "I knew you were busy… And there was nothing really different from every week…" She heard him humming and instantly knew it wasn't enough for him. "He's approved the working schedules I've been keeping this week, and he's said we both are fine." She raised her head and looked into his deep blue eyes. "Do you want to come next week?"

Bill smiled. "Do you really think there's a need to ask this one? The only thing keeping me from coming each time is you telling me to do so."

"I know, I know" she said before covering Bill's hand on her belly with her own. "You'll be amazed when you see how much she's grown since you last saw her, and she's pretty active too, moving all the time."

Bill smiled as he felt their daughter's kick against his palm. She was getting stronger with each day that passed. "I think I can see this last one pretty well for myself right now." He caressed her belly lovingly, slipping his spare arm behind her back and drawing her as close to him as she could. "And that's all you did today, a check-up with Cottle? Perhaps I should start thinking about running for President soon…" he teased her.

Laura slapped his chest playfully in response. "Of course _not_. I can't really imagine you as a politician…" she said with a giggle. "Besides, I don't think you would like it."

Bill gave her his most stupid grin, knowing that Laura wouldn't be able to resist it. "You'd be surprised…" he whispered into her ear. "So… Did you see that woman you told me about?"

"Emily?" she asked with a sad smile set on her lips. "Yes, I did… And we had a long chat in fact. You know, she told me she had a dream about crossing a river. Her whole family was on the other side, and they were waiting for her. I… I think, for what she's told me, that it's something more than just a dream." Bill hummed, indicating her that he was listening to her. Laura squeezed the hand he had over her belly and smiled slightly. "You know, Baltar talks about a river that separates this life from the next and Emily was sure the dream has got something to do with it… And if I have to be truthful with myself, I really believe they might be related."

He gave her a quizzical look. "You really believe that there's something in this horse manure that Baltar's peddling?"

"I don't know" Laura said truthfully. "Something is happening here, and I don't really understand it, Bill." She looked at him and let out a sigh. "You know better than anyone that I despise everything that's got to do with the man, but after what told me Emily… I know they're not alike, but her dream just reminded me so much of my own and… I don't know…"

Bill looked at her in the eyes and sighed. "You both have had that kind of dreams, means..." he started, but he never finished his sentence. Instead, he stared into Laura's eyes, as if he could find there some kind of answer.

After what felt like several minutes in silence, Laura opened her mouth. "What?" she simply asked him. "Talk to me, darling. What's going on?" She didn't take her eyes off his'.

He sighed deeply and looked away from her. "Kara comes back from the dead" she started with a dull voice, something unusual in him. "I let her go off chasing her vision of Earth. Well, she's overdue. Lee turns in his wings. And Helo, Athena, Gaeta. Will I ever see those kids again?"

Laura looked him closely and noticed there were unshed tears in his eyes. He was more vulnerable than he wanted anyone to know. It hurt Laura that he didn't trust her enough to share it with her before. Yes, she had known it all was paining Bill, but he had never let her really see it. "Bill" she called his name. "Look at me." She drew him closer to her with the hand she had on his back. "I'm right here." She brought her other hand to gently caress his cheek. Finally, he looked at her again. She saw some tears sliding down his cheeks and she quickly felt her eyes filling with tears. "Right here, my dear" she said hugging him the best way she could. "I'm not leaving."


	31. XXXI

_Thanks to all the readers for your time! And especially to those wonderful people who take their time to review!_

* * *

**XXXI. **

The man had done it again. Gaius frakking Baltar had managed, once again, to make Laura's life even more complicated. He had _exposed _her and left her in a compromising situation. He had revealed one of her most well-kept secrets to the whole Fleet; a secret only four people knew about, three of whom were the ones involved, the other one being Bill. How the hell had Baltar heard about it was a real mystery to Laura.

She had already heard the recording once so when she was presented with it again, she sighed deeply, trying to calm herself, and bit her tongue. She didn't like listening to the man sharing secrets of her private life over the wireless at all. "_I have learned from unimpeachable sources that President Laura Roslin has for some time now been sharing hallucinogenic visions with two Cylons within our Fleet: One Sharon Agathon, sent on the classified Demetrius mission,_" she battered her eyelashes and looked at the young man standing in front of her, analysing her reaction, "_and the other a Cylon prisoner being held aboard the Galac..._" She turned off the wireless without thinking, fed up with the man's speech.

Lee took a couple of steps towards her. "Uh-uh. It's not that easy."

"No?" she snapped back, her voice tinged with irony. "You should try it sometime."

The young man looked at her seriously. "Most of the population must have heard it by now."

She looked right into Lee's eyes all sobered up. "I would assume that's the point." Her voice was deep and threatening. "I don't really care."

"You should" he quickly replied, "He's made some serious accusations."

Laura didn't blink. She crossed her arms over her belly and separated her back from her chair. "That's the reason why I never listen to anything this man says over the wireless. And no one should."

The young Adama sighed deeply. "Look… I didn't really want to come… I take no pleasure in putting this before you. In fact, they had to push me through that door. They, the Quorum… _we_ thought you had to know it."

"So now I know it…" She looked at Lee with one of her deathly stares, but he didn't move an inch. "Is that all?" He didn't even blink. "I'm sure you're quite happy to stay" she muttered under her breath even though she was aware that he would certainly hear it.

Just as she had thought he would, Lee let out his fury, but he did it in a more controlled way than what she had expected. "I can't put one foot in front of the other without someone blocking my path, asking me what the hell is going on!" He started to lose his control. "For the welfare of the Fleet -"

"Excuse me?" she quickly cut him off before he could say another word. She wouldn't tolerate anyone questioning her position, especially not Lee. "As long as I am in this office, the welfare of this Fleet is not something _you_ need to worry about" she said in a threatening tone, looking right into his eyes, not allowing him to break the eye contact.

Lee looked at her defiantly. "You owe the people a response" he stated.

At that moment she really had to contain herself not to burst out laughing. "I _owe_ the people?" she asked him in disbelief. Did he really think she was a dumb schoolteacher, just like most of the Fleet thought at the beginning? Did he really believe what he was saying?

"That's what I believe" he immediately confirmed, lowering his head as if he had realized he had done a misstep.

Laura didn't take her eyes from his'. She was tired of that game they seemed to play: all his questioning and insisting, and her always having to justify every little thing she did like she was being interviewed by the police. She was really tired of all that. "What if suddenly all your beliefs were called into question?" she asked him, deciding to turn the tables. Now she was the one conducting the interview.

He looked at her with confusion, unset by her unexpected question. "Madam President…" he almost stammered, not knowing what it was about or what to answer.

The woman made an effort to keep from smirking. Watching her step-son lost like that was something she wasn't used to. She reminded herself what was her goal and she quickly composed herself. "Up is down" she started, with a steady voice. "Black is white. Scripture is fiction. Home is thin air instead of solid ground, etcetera."

Lee didn't take his eyes off from her. "You know, I'm really sorry for everything you've had to endure;" he started with what sounded like a hypocritical tone, "I really am. But the people, they deserve a response."

Laura looked at him with amazement. Where did all his anger come from? He wasn't entitled to be angry with her. _She _was the one who should be angry. "Do they?"

The young Adama looked at her with a straight face. "Is there any truth to this broadcast?" he demanded.

"And what would you do if I told you the truth?" she asked him, resigned. "What if it were you instead of me and all that's left of humanity had just been told that you are sharing visions with the enemy? What would you do, Lee?" She stared into his eyes in silence, without blinking. "Would you think that the gods were testing you?"

He didn't back out. Instead, he moved towards her desk. "So Baltar is telling the truth? Is it true?"

Laura immediately rolled her eyes and sighed deeply. Touché. There was no reason to keep delaying the inevitable. She raised her eyes once more to the young man, defeated. "Yes." The young Adama blinked and moved closer to her, dropping part of his weight on her desk. "Are you satisfied now?"

Lee stared at her again and did as if hadn't heard her question. "Does my father know about it?" For the first time since he had appeared in her office that day, she could see genuine concern in his voice. "Have you told him?"

She looked into his blue eyes and saw his father's eyes instead of the young man ones'. Why did if feel so bad? Why her dreams or visions had suddenly turned into such an important matter that it affected the welfare of the Fleet? Around Lee's eyes appeared the same little wrinkles of worry his father had. It made her heart ache a little bit. "He knows" she admitted. She brought one of her hands to rest over her belly and set a small sad smile on her lips. "Do you really think I would keep something like this from him?" she asked with quivering lips.

He looked at her and shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know…"

Laura looked at him closely and realized that was all he was going to say; he really doubted she would share her visions with Bill. Her heart started beating madly and her nostrils flared with anger. "Oh, come on. Say it!" she challenged him. "Just say it and get it over with!" Lee looked at her confused, and that only made her anger increase. "You don't like me, and you don't like me being with your father."

The look of confusion on Lee's face softened a little. "That's not true" he stated, trying to defend himself from her accusations. "Why do you say that?"

She looked at him and sighed, trying to calm herself a little bit, conscious she had let her crazy hormones talk. Still, she really believed her words were true. She had kept them for too long. "Oh, I don't know… Maybe because you're _always_ challenging and questioning me or trying to show everyone _all_ my mistakes. You're trying to prove -"

"I _am _not" he quickly cut her off.

"Yes, you are" she replied as calmly as she was able. "And I would tolerate it if it was only on professional grounds, but I can't when it surpassed them."

Lee didn't break their visual contact. "What do you mean, Madame President?"

She felt a sudden rage of anger. "See?" she said through gritted teeth. "Just that. You keep calling me '_Madame President_' all the time. Laura. My name's Laura. It's not that difficult. I am your father's wife, for frak's sake!" She stopped for a second and inhaled deeply, trying to calm herself. Her anger wouldn't make things any easier. "Just… call me by my name. I am not asking that much, I believe." She observed the man, but she didn't see any sign he was going to talk any time soon, so she continued letting out all the words she had been keeping for a while. "Up to a point, I can understand your coldness towards me," she intently looked down to her belly and rubbed it, "but towards your sister? You've only showed some interest towards her when you've been pushed by Dee."

"I don't know why you're saying all of this" he quickly defended himself. "I don't hate or despise you, and you can be sure I am not indifferent towards my sister."

"Then why don't you just show it?" she asked desperately. "Ask about her from time to time. Stop treating me as if I was just a dumb schoolteacher and start respecting me instead. I trust you and I'd like to believe I treat you with respect. You're going to take my place when I have to stop working; you could stop fighting each decision I make and start working with me. We could collaborate" she said with a small smile. "It would make things easier for the two of us and your father."

Lee looked at her in confusion. "My father? What does he have to do with it?"

Laura shot him a smile. "Yes, your father. Do you think he likes to see his family fighting?" The smile on her lips disappeared and her features became harder. Clearly, she was getting to the real matter there. Everything else wasn't really that important. She would have been able to live with Lee's hate, or really anyone's hate, as long as it only affected her. But Lee was Bill's son, and even if he hadn't said anything she knew it all was a thorn on his heart. "We are all the family he has left… You, me," she looked at her belly and caressed it, "her. He would like to see us getting along, without any kind of unspoken tension between us. He would like us to be a _family -_"

"Mada –" he started, but he stopped, realising he was calling her by her position once again. "Laura…" he quickly corrected.

"Have I done something to you?" she asked before he got the chance to voice anything he had on mind.

Lee stared at her and sighed. "No, you haven't."

She didn't break the visual contact. She looked at him in wonder and battered her eyelashes. "Then…?" she asked with a tiny voice.

He sighed deeply. "It's just… I'm trying, okay?" He led out another sigh. "I don't hate you; I don't agree with some of your decisions, but I don't hate you… And you and my father… It's weird. But…he looks happier than he has ever done. He loves you and having you makes him happy. Now I can see you love him just as much as he does…" He paused and looked at Laura, who was smiling radiantly at him. "And I am happy that you're having a child. I really am. It's just… weird. I never expected my father to be with anyone, and I obviously never even expected him to have another child." He stopped talking and started pacing in front of Laura's desk. "I suddenly found out about both things at the same time, not being prepared for any of them… And then you ask me to take your place when your pregnancy forces you to leave it, just after I forced you to confess it in front of the whole Fleet. I wasn't prepared for it, for any of it."

Laura smiled. "I wouldn't have asked you to if I wasn't sure you were the best person for it." She paused and looked at her hands, entwined over her belly. "Believe me; none of us was prepared for it. Your father wasn't, even I wasn't prepared. It just happened, and we're thanking our luck every day. We wouldn't want it to change even if we could…" Her smile widened and her hands started caressing the spots in which she felt her daughter move. "You know, before the attacks I had a whole different life. I didn't lose much… My family had been long gone; first a… car accident, and then… my mother had cancer…" It amazed Laura how difficult it was to say it even after so much time. "My luck with men wasn't much better; I never had a serious relationship. Never." She paused and smiled, feeling one of her daughter's kicks. "I always wanted kids, but life never gave me the right opportunity."

Lee looked into her green eyes. "I didn't know any of it. You never said anything…"

"No one knows, not even your father. You're the first one I've told anything about it ever since all of this started." She battered her eyelashes and looked straight into his eyes. "Your father gives me everything that has ever lacked in my life until now. He's the man I never even dares to ask for. He's the perfect man for me and even if I tried I couldn't love him any more than I already do. I love him. We were meant to end up together." She smiled widely. "I want to do everything that's on my hand to repay all the good he's bringing on my life. Try to be civil with me, even if it's just for your father. I'm sure you love him. Do it for him."

The young man looked at her in silence for a while. Then, he nodded. "I am sorry… I really am. I… would like to do things the right way from now on, but I need to know we'll really collaborate. I need to know you'll listen to me and you'll consider my words."

Laura smiled. "I promise, as long as you stop challenging me in front of the Quorum. Do we have a deal here?"

Lee stayed in silence for a while before smiling faintly. "Yes, we do Laura."


	32. XXXII

_A new chapter in only four days... That's what happens when I get an unexpected day off from university!_

murphycat_ asked me how far along Laura was at this point, and that made me realise I hadn't mentioned anything about it ever since the beginning of the fic... I've been controlling it, but I had been keeping it for myself... So for any those of you who might be curious about it, she's almost six months and a half now. _

* * *

**XXXII. **

The return of the Demetrius had been welcome news at Galactica and especially at the Admiral's quarters. They had come back, at least most of them. At one point, even Bill thought he wouldn't see all those people ever again. Kara, Helo, Gaeta… But they were back.

The cylon rebels were something no one had expected. They had come with offers and exigencies, proposing them some kind of alliance. At first, Laura didn't trust them at all and she didn't hesitate to share her doubts with Bill, Tigh and Helo, but for the last previous couple of days, she hadn't been able to think of anything else than the Six's words. The Final Five were among the Fleet. They had been to Earth. They could lead them all there.

Was it really that easy? Were the prophecies wrong? Had they even existed? Her reason still told her to ignore the words of the cylon and continue believing in the prophecies and her visions. They had proven to be right, at least until that moment. "But things have changed, I am not dying anymore…" she muttered under her breath, sitting behind her desk, alone in her office. "I am not a Dying Leader now…" She shook her head, trying to erase those thoughts, and caressed her belly lovingly.

There was a part of her, tiny but slowly growing, that hoped the Six's words were true. Even if it was like that, they would still have to destroy the Resurrection Hub, manage to get the Three and hope the Final Five really knew the way to Earth, but it was almost palpable. She felt as if it was just around the corner.

Her job as the President of the Colonies was to provide her people with a home. Wouldn't it be great to finally be able to do it? For her people, for herself… Earth would mean some rest for everybody. Her work would be finished; there would be no reason to keep being President. She would have time with Bill, a place they could call _home_, the chance to build the cabin she had always intended for the two of them, some peace to enjoy the last months of her pregnancy… Wouldn't it be great for all of them to forget about all their problems and start fully enjoying their lives? Being able to forget about the cylons and all the time they had spent running away from them, and starting new lives, living them the way they wanted.

"Good morning" Tory said as she entered the room, immediately taking Laura out of her thoughts.

She was late. Laura was practically never alone in her office, but she had been on her own for almost half an hour. And Tory was glowing with happiness… Then it was true. She no longer had any doubt. Somehow, it made her feel betrayed. She wasn't going to mention that at the moment. Tory didn't have to know yet that she had found out about it, so she raised her eyes towards the younger woman and smiled slightly. "Morning" she greeted her enthusiastically. The other woman sat in front of her and smiled widely. She decided she was going to give her a chance to explain herself. "What is it about the Galactica that gives you such a glow?" she asked politely. "When I come here to work, it's like I'm going from one dungeon to the next."

Tory smiled widely again. "I hadn't noticed. But thank you" she simply replied, as if she was completely innocent and she hadn't been betraying her for a while.

Laura looked at her aide and sighed slightly. "Are you ready?" Tory nodded her head. "I want you to find out who's behind the shared vision rumours" she said with a serious tone. The sudden appearance of the cylon rebels had cut all the gossip about her visions. Still, she wanted to get to the bottom of the matter and avoid something like that to ever happen in the future. She needed to be sure it wasn't anybody close to her, but the chances that a stranger had found out about it all were really faint. She looked at Tory intently. "Who's talking to him?"

The younger woman widened her eyes and looked at Laura with a little bit of confusion. "With Baltar?"

So she was playing dumb? Laura had no intention to continue trying to get her to admit it. She would be straight-forward with it. "You're sleeping with him, right?" she asked her. Tory raised her head and looked at her, opening her mouth as if she was going to say something. "Don't" Laura quickly said, stopping her. She didn't need her to start trying to defend herself or trying to find an excuse. Her aide was having an affair with her biggest political enemy. Wasn't she entitled to feel betrayed? "I've just been informed that you've been spotted down there enough times to be a charter member of his nymph squad."

The woman had lowered her head, looking at her hands clutched on her lap, while Laura was talking. Once she finished, she sighed and looked up again. "All right" she admitted. Then, she looked up towards the ceiling, unable to hold Laura's gaze at that moment. After a brief silence, she looked at her again. "I have come to believe in Baltar's spiritual message. I don't know how or why. It just happened. I wish you knew how many times I wanted to tell you." She stopped talking for a moment and held Laura's gaze. "Your friendship and your trust means -"

"Frak" Laura quickly said with a thin but steady voice, cutting her off. She looked straight into the other woman's eyes, in silence, trying to make her words sink in. "Clearly, my friendship and trust mean frak" she stated. "I now don't really care if you have to spend the night on your knees praying or just on your knees. I want a name. I want to know who's responsible for these lies." She picked up her glasses from the desk and put them on, ready to start going over some reports. She wanted to end that conversation, she wanted to get Tory out of her sight. When she had said she had just been informed of her aide's affair, she really meant it. Bill had hesitantly told her about it the previous night. She didn't want to have to deal with the woman more than necessary.

"Madam President" Tory suddenly said, after a long silence. "Laura… I am so sorry."

Laura didn't even look up from the report she had in her hands. "You have a job to do" she simply said.

After a couple of seconds, she heard footsteps getting out of the office. Tory was gone. She looked up from the report and stared at the door, already closed. The worst part of it all was that she trusted the woman… And she had repaid her by having an affair with Gaius Baltar. Out of all the people in the Fleet, she had chosen Gaius Baltar.

* * *

It had been only four days since she had that conversation with Lee, but she already felt a big change in their relationship; at least on the working dimension. He had insisted to take care of a big part of her load of work, a measure well approved by Bill and Cottle. It only left her with important paperwork, scattered meetings here and there and meet-ups with Lee himself each day, to be briefed about everything else she had to know. It also meant her work in the office had been drastically reduced, so after Tory left and she had gone over the paperwork resting on her desk, she found herself with nothing to do.

Bill would be working at the moment, so going to meet him wasn't an option. Being on their quarters alone also wasn't an option. She didn't feel like taking a nap and there wasn't much else she would be able to do in there. Suddenly, she remembered Emily. Yes, she didn't have an appointment with Cottle that day, but it really didn't matter. She was almost sure Emily could use some company, and she needed some distraction and a good conversation.

She got to sickbay and went straight towards Emily's bed. On her way there, she crossed paths with Cottle, who smiled slightly at her and nodded his head. When she appeared between the woman's cubicle curtains, Emily smiled faintly.

"I didn't expect you here so soon" the woman said with a thin voice, lying on her bed.

Laura looked at the woman and noticed her appearance had changed since she had last seen her, less than a week before. But she looked happy to see her. "Can't one pay a visit to a friend without being questioned?" she asked with a smile set on her lips.

The woman curled up her lips in something resembling a smile. "Oh, yes. Indeed…" Their eyes met and both of them smiled. "Come, come. Sit."

Laura did as she was asked. She took the nearest chair she found and brought it closer to the bed. "How are you today?" she asked without erasing her smile.

"Alive, I guess…" the other woman replied. "That's something I should be grateful for, isn't it? But… let's not make it about me. I already spend too much time thinking about me when I'm on my own…" Emily smiled slightly and took Laura's hand. "How are you?"

Laura squeezed the other woman's hand. "Fine, I'm fine." She looked at the other woman. "I can't really complain… My girl's doing just fine." She smiled and brought her spare hand to caress her belly. "Bill and I, we…" she stopped, unable to decide whether she should continue talking about that. Then she felt Emily squeezing her hand, encouraging her to continue talking. "We're really looking forward to have her here with us… You know, see her face and hold her in our arms for the first time…"

"You're going to fall in love with her once you see her" Emily said smiling. "I am sure she is going to be a true beauty; she's doing to have good genes…"

"How can she be so sure of it?" asked Laura smiling widely at the other woman.

"Well, judging by the Admiral and his son, I'm sure she'll take some great qualities from that side. And beauty really runs in your family" Emily said looking straight into the other woman's eyes. "You. Your mother…" Emily noticed the strange look in Laura's eyes and explained herself. "Yes, I knew your mother…"

Laura looked at her in confusion, speechless. As Emily's words started sinking in, she felt a lump forming on her throat. "You… What?"

"I knew her" she repeated. "She was my teacher and later I worked with her at Metis School for a couple of years. Judith Roslin, right?" She waited until Laura nodded. "I… I heard what happened. Your sisters, your father… and then the cancer." She squeezed Laura's hand harder.

The lump on Laura's throat became harder to bear. "You… never told me you knew her before… Why? Why now?"

"I don't know" Emily replied sincerely. "But I wouldn't have felt right if I never got to say it to you…" She paused and looked into Laura's eyes. "She was a great woman. She was really missed when she died… Everyone loved her, her students adored her… And the more I know you, the more I see you're just like her…" Emily squeezed Laura's hand harder. "I'm sure she would be really proud if she saw you right now. Her older daughter being the President of the Colonies…Yes, she would be. She was already really proud of the great teacher you were proving to be" she said smiling. "And… I'm sure seeing you just as you are right now would make her happy. All a parent wants is to see their children happy and, judging by your looks, you really are."

Laura's vision blurred, her eyes were full of tears she didn't want to shed. "She… was broken when the accident happened. Just when both of us were starting to get over it, short after I started working for Adar, she was diagnosed with cancer. I found myself in a new job, having to take care of her on my own, seeing how she got weaker with each treatment, watching how the illness was slowly eating her body…" She shook her head, trying to erase those thoughts from her brain. Those had been hard days. "You know, when you told me you needed answers and not metaphors?" she said, referring to one of the things Emily had said in one of their first meetings. "In that, you're just like her; she wasn't satisfied with metaphors either."

Laura smiled, remembering the twinkle in her mother eyes when she talked about the Lords of Kobol. She had been a true believer, from her first breath to the last. Laura had always admired her for that. She had always been true to her beliefs, and she tried to transmit all that passion to her three daughters. Sometimes, with the perspective time had given her, Laura thought her mother's approach to religion had been of a complete mystical nature.

"She was convinced that Aphrodite herself was going to swoop her away when she died" she continued, with a tiny smile on her lips. "And she believed it; even after the doloxan and the radiation failed to stop her cancer." She shook her head and put the small smile back on her lips. "She was something to behold in... in the head of her classroom. And her students…" A lump suddenly formed in Laura's neck. She tried to swallow it, but tears started burning in her eyes. "Her students loved her, they..." her voice broke and several tears escaped her eyes, "they'd walk through fire for her. And… and then you see this woman who… seemed so… _eternal_, she withered away. And I find myself having to change her diaper because she couldn't even..." She stopped and breathed deeply, trying to calm herself in vain. "At the moment she died, there was no gleaming fields of Elysium stretched out before her; there was this dark black abyss." She tried to calm herself again, but more tears escaped her eyes. Somehow, she managed to steady her voice a little bit. "She was just terrified; she was so scared…" She breathed deeply again, managing to take back the control of her breathing. Suddenly, she realised that things like her confession were the kind of things she should avoid saying to Emily. "I'm sorry" she muttered with a thin voice, avoiding eye contact with the other woman.

Instead, Emily squeezed her hand harder and smiled slightly at her. "Laura" she said trying to get her attention. "Laura," she insisted, managing to establish the eye contact again, "_you_ were terrified, _you_ saw only darkness. You can't possibly know what your mother experienced." She smiled slightly. "You're...you're still searching… You're..."

Emily's smile suddenly turned into a grimace of pain, and her grip on Laura's hand tightened in a way that it was almost painful. Laura immediately stood up and looked at her friend in worry. "Are… are you okay?" The other woman loosened her grip on Laura's hand and shook her head slightly. "Do you want me to get Cottle?" she asked; her worry evident in her tone. That time, Emily slightly nodded her head, closing her eyes tightly.

Laura tried to move, but Emily tightened her grip on her hand. "Don't… please" she pleaded with such a thin voice it was almost a whisper.

"I won't leave… I promise" she assured the other woman. She looked around and noticed the curtains weren't completely closed. Suddenly, she saw a figure walking across the room. She immediately called for help.


	33. XXXIII

**XXXIII.**

"Madame President..." said Cottle walking towards Laura. She didn't even hear him. She didn't even see him. The doctor looked at her, sitting on her own at sickbay, with her eyes lost and an unreadable expression on her face. She was good at controlling her emotions, he had to give her that. She had always been, but considering the burning mixture of hormones she was right now, it was impressive. He got closer to her. "Laura..." he whispered, standing in front of her.

Laura battered her eyelashes and looked at the man as if she had noticed him for the first time. "Yes..." she managed to say with a hoarse voice as she stood up. Then, she cleared her throat trying to make the less sound possible. "How... How is she?"

"It was a pain attack" he informed her in a low voice. "Her cancer has spread. We've given her morpha; she won't suffer."

Laura nodded and smiled sadly. She had known it would eventually happen, but it didn't mean she accepted it. It wasn't fair... "Will I be able to see her?" she asked with a thin voice.

Suddenly, before Cottle could answer her question, she felt a big firm hand on her shoulder. Knowing whom it belonged to, she turned her head slightly, just enough to see Bill standing behind her. All of a sudden, her voice disappeared and her eyes started burning with tears. All her defences were down, destroyed. Bill moved to face her and surrounded her with his warm arms. Laura immediately buried her head on his chest and felt her tears starting to flow.

Conscious that he was an intruder in that intimate moment between the couple, he cleared his throat to gain their attention. "I'll go check on her. I'll be back in a while... Then you'll be able to see her."

Bill nodded. "Thank you Jack. We'll be here." Cottle nodded and disappeared through the curtains. He felt Laura's arms entwining on his back, making their bodies closer than they already were. "Are you alright?" he whispered into her ear. In response, he felt a hum against his chest; he didn't really know how to interpret it. He carefully took his hands from her back to her head and gently caressed her cheeks with his thumbs as he slowly separated her face from his uniform, at that moment wet with her tears. He looked straight into her eyes and kissed her forehead lovingly. "I know, my dear. I know"

She rose her glassy eyes to look into his', with her cheeks streaked with fresh tears. "I... It happened so fast..." she whispered. Then, something clicked on her brain and she looked at him with confusion. "You... here?"

He smiled sadly and removed her tears with his thumbs. "It's already midday. I was going to give you a surprise, but you weren't in the office, so I guessed you would be here..."

"It's really that late?" she asked him surprised. He nodded. "I just... came to visit. I wasn't going to spend too much time here but then... she had a pain attack." She looked at him with a lost expression on her face and a lone tear escaped her eyes. "It has spread..."

He caressed her cheeks, gaining her attention. "You knew this day would come, my dear..." She held his gaze for an instant and buried her head on his chest again. He placed an arm on the small of her back and caressed her hair lovingly with the other. "Do you want me to get rid of everything on your agenda for the next few days?" he whispered into her ear.

She hummed against his chest, agreeing.

* * *

It wasn't long until Cottle allowed them to enter into Emily's cubicle. The first thing Laura did was to look at the woman she had started considering her friend. She seemed to be sleeping peacefully, so serene and calm. "She's been left alone..." Laura muttered under her breath, breaking the silence. "She's a good woman and she's just lost so much..." she said to no one in particular. Then, she looked at Bill "I don't want to leave her. She shouldn't be alone in a moment like that. She doesn't deserve it..."

Bill nodded and smiled sadly, knowing there would be no way to take that idea out of Laura's mind. He rested one hand on her shoulder trying to comfort her in some way, not saying a word.

"She's not there yet" Cottle said. "She'll eventually be, but not right now. It can take longer than you think... It's a matter of days." He looked at Laura, knowing the impact his words would make on her. "She won't suffer" he assured her. "She'll wake up... You should go rest and take care of yourself until then. I'll send you someone when there's any change."

Laura looked from Emily's resting body to Bill. He smiled slightly at her. "You should do that" he said. "You need to eat something, and you could use some rest... I know you have no appetite right now and that rest is the last thing on your mind, but you have to do it for our little girl."

She nodded. Then, she looked at the doctor. "Please, if anything happens, _anything_, send someone for me. I have to be there..."

* * *

"What happens Laura?" Bill asked as he sat beside her on the bed. "I know you're really fond of Emily..." She looked at him with a straight face, but he was able to notice the complete sadness she was feeling. Yes, she was really good at hiding her emotions, but he was able to read her like nobody could. "Talk to me, my dear; don't keep it to yourself. You haven't said a word in all the lunch..."

Laura looked at him and raised the ends of her lips slightly. "Even though I knew the moment would come and I had gone through it before, it's difficult to accept it. And..." she stopped and looked at him hesitantly. She had never told him anything about it, but over the last couple of days she had talked about it with Lee and Emily. Why was it so difficult to talk about it with Bill? For an instant, she felt stupid. She had shared with him things that were far more intimate before. "And she knew my mother" she finally said with a broken voice, smiling slightly. "She just told me this morning about it."

Bill looked at her and reached for her hand. Their eyes met, and she could see the confusion in his eyes. He couldn't even start to imagine what it meant to her. "I know that look on your eyes, Laura. I know there's something you need to talk about... But you've never mentioned your mother of your family before."

"We've never spent much time talking about our lives before the attacks." She paused and allowed her eyes to wander around the room. "They're dead, just like everyone else's families..." After a long silence she looked at him and smiled sadly. "Well, I didn't mean you, of course... But you understand what I mean..."

He brought his other hand to her cheek and caressed it slightly with his thumb. "I see this look on your eyes... Please, just tell me. You've never mentioned your family..." He watched how his wife closed her eyes tightly and let a lone tear roll down her cheeks. "Were they gone, my dear?"

Laura nodded. "Yes, they were" she said, her voice breaking again. She opened her eyes. "There were five of us." Her voice had gotten stronger. "My parents, me and my two younger sisters, Sandra and Cheryl... We were all really close. It wasn't a strange that I ended up being a teacher; both my parents were teacher, and my sisters also got into teaching after me. It was a kind-of tradition" she said with a wide smile on her lips. "Emily worked with my mother for a while..." She stopped for an instant and lowered her eyes to their joined hands. She felt strong enough to talk about it without breaking down. "I had hosted my sister Sandra's baby-shower in my home." She looked at Bill again. "She was the first of the three sisters to start a family of her own; she was heavily pregnant with a boy. We were all really excited..." Her expression softened, remembering the good old days. Her free hand travelled to her belly and started caressing it lightly. "We had a great time that afternoon... After it finished, my father came to take both my sister to their homes." She shut her eyes tightly before continuing her story. "The following morning, an hour before I had to leave to work, the police came to my house. They had had a car accident. A drunken driver had hit them and run." She shut her eyes even tighter, successfully managing to keep them at bay. She didn't want to cry over it yet again. "They died, and the driver was never caught."

Bill placed his warm palm on her cheek again and caressed it lovingly, trying to comfort her in some way, aware of the pain that must have caused her. He understood why she had never talked about it before, but he was happy she was finally letting it out. Her long silence didn't surprise him. It was something he could completely relate to. Talking about Zak was also really difficult to him, even after the years and everything that happened after the destruction of the Colonies. At one moment, he feared she wouldn't continue talking, but he was aware he shouldn't try to get anything out of her with questions, she needed to do it for herself.

"After that, I spent some very bad months" she finally continued. "It was just me and my mother... But we were lucky to have each other. We helped each other the best we could. She -" Laura suddenly stopped for an instant and smiled widely. "She convinced me to go on with my life... You would have liked her; she was a tough one... She was a charmer; everyone adored her." She smiled again. "I had been offered a position in Adar's office some time before it all, and they kept insisting. She urged me to accept it, and I did. I really needed a change in my life. I won't lie; I liked it at first. I had been working as a teacher for a long time, and I knew which the deficiencies of the system were. It offered me the chance to fix all those things, to improve the society in some way, and it allowed me to remain in the dark; Adar could get all the recognition, I really didn't care about recognition." She smiled once again, but it was a sad smile. "But after a while my mother was diagnosed with a breast cancer, and it was only the two of us, so I had to take care of her on my own. It was a difficult time... A new job, my mother and her illness... When she finally died, it only was after a big dose of suffering... And I was alone, completely." She paused and looked into Bill's eyes. "I felt so _dead_, my dear... Adar had been flirting me from time to time, in our private meetings and it made me feel so alive... So we started a little game of seduction that ended up being an affair. It really didn't matter that he was married and, looking back, I wouldn't say I ever loved him. It was just... convenient and comfortable. The two of us got what we wanted out of it." She stroked Bill's hand and smiled.

He stroked her cheek in return. "I knew it, my love" he said smiling, without giving too much importance to her last confessions. Yes, he was pleased that she'd told him, but it didn't surprise him. Laura opened her mouth widely, in shock. "It's just... the way you talked about him and how you brought his name in some conversations..."

She stared at him in silence for a while. Then, she covered the hand that was on her cheek with one of hers. "You know, I was going to resign from my position and break up with him when I came back from the decommission of this ship" she said smiling. "I'm really glad I've found you..." she said with a thin voice before releasing a sudden sob.

He leaned towards her and kissed the corner of her lips. "So am I, Laura..." he whispered against her skin.

* * *

Once Bill had left to work, she had headed straight to sickbay. There was no way she could stay at her quarters doing nothing. Being there, next to Emily, and watching her resting peacefully, calmed Laura. She found holding Emily's hand specially comforting. It was warm; it meant she was still there.

Cottle hadn't tried to make her leave when he saw her sitting next to Emily. In fact, he had come closer to her to her and had briefed her on her actual condition. She wasn't going to wake in the next couple of hours, until the effect of the morpha faded. After that, he had left.

As the minutes passed, she found there was only thing that was keeping her out of her thoughts; a song. A voice that kept singing the same song over and over again. She knew the man that sang it, but she never imagined he had such a beautiful singing voice. It was one of her favourite traditional songs. It brought her back to her youth; those days in which everything was easier.

She suddenly heard someone calling her name. Then, she looked at the opening of the curtains and saw Lee standing there, unsure to enter. She smiled at him slightly. "What a way to discover such a voice, huh?"

Lee looked at her and sketched a small smile. "I know I come in a bad moment, but could you give me a couple of minutes?"

She looked at Emily for an instant and checked she was still sleeping, and then nodded. She let go the other woman's hand, stood up from the chair she was sitting in and walked through the curtain. "How did you find me?" she asked him in a whisper.

"Your chief of staff" he quickly replied.

She rolled her eyes. "... needs to be horsewhipped" she finished for him. "If you came down here to kiss my ass to get information, save your breath" she snapped. She quickly shut her eyes tightly, realising what she had just said, and reached to touch Lee's arm. "I'm sorry... I didn't mean to..."

Lee touched her hand and smiled. "Don't worry... I understand I did not come in a good moment, and I know you didn't mean it."

She smiled slightly. "What do you want?" she asked him in a calmer voice.

"I know you refused to do this at the first moment and that now isn't a good moment for you, but you need to talk to the Quorum. Your silence about the arrival of the cylon rebels is making them consider a vote of no confidence against you."

"I've said it before and I'll repeat it as many times as it is necessary. I won't compromise the success of this operation or the safety of this Fleet to indulge the neediness of twelve perpetually unhappy representatives... or eleven... I can't" she firmly said, without raising her voice.

"Laura, I know. But you promised me this would be a collective job from now on" he reminded her. "I'm asking you to listen to my opinion."

She battered her eyelashes and nodded her head. "Alright. Talk."

He nodded approvingly. "Don't tell them everything, but talk to them. Let them put a face to this joint mission. Let them hear from the Cylon leader. _Anything_. Anything to put their fears at rest."

Laura shook her head and looked towards Emily's curtains. "Lee, I... I can't. Not right now."

He looked at her concerned. "It's going to get out of hand if we don't do it as soon as possible." He stopped and looked at her, seeing the worry on her eyes. "Maybe I could take care of it... You'd just have show up in front of the Quorum and say some words to calm them. I can arrange the rest; getting the leader of the Cylons and the meeting being held at Galactica. That way you wouldn't have to lose too much time."

She smiled sweetly at him and patted his arm. "Thank you... When?"

Lee smiled back. "Tomorrow, first thing in the morning?"

* * *

Bill found her sitting beside Emily's bed, completely asleep. He observed her, so calm, so at peace. It still fascinated him how she managed to perch up her legs whenever she wanted to sit comfortably, even at that moment, with her pregnancy. But she shouldn't be sleeping in a place like that; she should be resting on their quarters. Carefully, he touched her shoulder, trying to wake her up. She stirred up a little bit on her sleep but didn't wake. Bill repeated the same action. Slowly, she opened her eyes.

"Hey, beautiful" he said, lowering down and giving a peck to her lips. "I'm sorry it took me so long to get here..."

Laura smiled widely. "She's sleeping now," she whispered, "but she woke up earlier this afternoon..." she said smiling. "Cottle's given her something for the pain again, so she's probably not going to wake up again until tomorrow..."

He caressed one of her arms lovingly. "Do you want to go home for the day then?"

She covered his hand with one of hers' and smiled. "Yes, please."


	34. XXXIV

**XXXIV. **

That morning she had woken up earlier than usual. She took a hot shower and prepared herself for the meeting. She knew exactly what she had to say to please the Quorum and be able to get out of there as soon as possible. The truth be told, she didn't really care about the Quorum delegate's egos, but she wasn't going to let their plan fail for something as stupid as refusing to please the Quorum's will. Too much was invested there. If some words from her and the Six helped keeping them out of their plan, then it would be totally worth it.

When the accorded time came, Bill escorted her to the meetings room. He walked beside her, letting her take his arm. They walked at a slow pace, in silence. When they arrived at the door, he stopped. He wouldn't go into the room; not at that moment yet. Laura also stopped and looked into his eyes for an instant, but she quickly looked at the door, doubtful. They had planned it the best they knew, but at that moment her doubts were growing. What if it didn't work? What if the Quorum wasn't satisfied and asked for more than just the words of two women? What would happen if the cylons were deceiving them? Would Emily be awake when she reached her? Would they ever really get to walk upon Earth someday? Would she get to give a new home to her daughter? Those little fears were building inside of her, breaking her resolve into tiny pieces.

Bill noticed her mind was tickling, gone miles away from there. He placed his hands on her arms, trying to earn her attention and get her back. Then, he leaned towards her and placed a tender kiss on her lips. "Roll the hard six" he whispered into her ear with his deep voice. When he looked at her again, he saw a smile on her lips. He had succeeded.

Laura looked at the guards at both sides of the door and nodded. She was ready to enter.

They opened the door and she walked in with decision, completely confident. The room was full; they all were already waiting for her. She wasn't going to waste a minute more than required. She wasn't going to beg or apologise. She wasn't there to keep her job. She was there only to keep their plan working without having to share it with the whole Fleet.

* * *

As soon as the meeting finished, Laura felt the urge to run to sickbay, to visit her friend. Bill didn't try to change her mind. In fact, he made sure no work was sent to her so that she could be there with no other worry on her mind. He walked with Laura to sickbay, without saying a word. The silence between them was a little bit uncomfortable, but he really didn't know what to say. Watching her moving sorrowfully around Galactica was breaking his heart, and all he could do at the moment was walk with her, hoping his presence beside Laura somehow comforted her.

Once they got to sickbay, Bill rested one of his hands on her shoulder and gave her a meaningful look. She smiled slightly. "Don't worry. I'll be fine" she breathed.

He nodded his head slightly, without breaking the eye contact. "I know" he whispered. "I know... But don't forget about yourself, my dear."

Bill didn't linger for too long; he soon left the room to go to the CIC, leaving Laura standing in front of Emily's curtains. Her doubts and fears suddenly came back, stronger than they had been before. She really didn't know what to expect. The previous afternoon Emily had woken up, but she had been drowsy and confused, probably because of the medication Cottle had given her for her pain. So she just stood there, unsure about what to do.

After what seemed like an eternity to her, she started feeling self-conscious; standing there, with her eyes lost into empty space. The only thing that came to her mind was that she needed to do something to get her brain to start working properly, so she started pacing in front of the curtains, breathing deeply, trying to convince herself to enter. At that moment she didn't want to, but she was sure she would regret it afterwards if she didn't do it. She _had_ to go there and be with her friend, no excuses to avoid it were valid.

Laura, after a couple of minutes of indecision, finally appeared through the curtains or Emily's cubicle. The vision she was greeted with was better than she had hoped for. Emily looked less drowsy and confused but at the same time more exhausted than the day before. But she was awake, looking at her with glassy eyes and a faint smile on her lips. "Come in, Laura" she said with a hoarse voice. "Come in" she urged her when she noticed Laura wasn't moving an inch from her spot.

She smiled widely and entered the quarter, fairly surprised by her friend's enthusiasm. As she always did, she took her chair and approached it to Emily's bed as much as she could. "How are you?" she asked with a soft voice.

Emily shot her a death glare the best she could. "Extremely high. Privilege of being on your deathbed, I guess" she said without losing her smile. In fact, she widened it. Laura couldn't help to let out a little giggle and, at that, Emily was pleased. "But that's not the point. Come on, I've got something for you." Laura looked at her in confusion but Emily did as if she hadn't noticed it. "Get it; it's in the first drawer" she told her as she watched her reaching for it. "Yes, right there."

Laura took a wrapped package from the drawer and looked at Emily not knowing how to react. At that concrete moment she was unable to even guess what it could be. She just looked at Emily in wonder.

"One would think you don't like the surprise..." Emily teased her, making Laura smile. "Come on, open it." The redhead did as she was asked and unwrapped the paper carefully, trying not to tear it. Once it was opened and gone, she brought one of her hands to cover her mouth, wide-opened in surprise. Emily cleared her throat. "I hope it's not too much..." she said failing to hide her excitement.

Laura left the contents of the package on her lap and took Emily's hand, squeezing it tightly, with a wide smile on her lips. "No, it's perfect" she assured her friend. "Thank you very much, Emily."

The other woman smiled and squeezed her hand back. "Are you not going to take a closer look at it?" Emily asked her.

The redhead smiled and let go Emily's hand. Then, she carefully took a look at the things inside the carton box, taking them out of the package. A small fluffy white blanket, a teddy bear, a pair of tiny socks, and a book full of bedside stories and beautiful drawings. "I - I really don't know what to say..." she said really touched.

Emily looked at her with a faint smile, completely pleased. "Then don't say anything" she quickly added, finishing Laura's sentence. "It's just... something I happened to have in my luggage. It was a present for a friend I was going to visit, in Gemenon, but I never got to give it to her... And I would like you to keep it. No one else is going to use it around here..." Laura took her hand again and Emily noticed her eyes were starting to water. That wasn't what she wanted. "No, don't Laura" she quickly said. "I want you to have it, that's all."

Laura smiled and left all the presents in the nightstand. "Emily, I don't have words, really..."

The other woman smirked. "You're sounding quite repetitive, Madame President" she teased her. "It had been in the drawer for a while, just like all my other possessions. I was just waiting for the best moment to give it to you" she explained.

"You're a box full of secrets, aren't you?" Laura said, smiling.

"Oh, come on..." Emily replied, rolling her eyes the best she could. "Now tell me, how's your little one? It looks as if she's getting bigger each day..."

Laura rested her free hand on her belly and caressed it softly. It was clear Emily didn't want to talk about herself, and she understood it. Talking about life was much more pleasing than talking about illness and death. Still, she thought Emily was really brave to be taking it all in that way. She hadn't lost her sense of humour or her good heart, and she wasn't pitying herself. She had never seen anyone like that before. "Yes, she is" Laura said with a wide smile on her lips. "And she's also getting stronger. You should feel her kicks... But she's a good girl, she doesn't aim towards the most sensitive areas too much" she said, her eyes glowing with pride. "Dou you... want to feel her?" she asked a little bit unsure.

Emily quickly nodded, agreeing with Laura's idea. "Of course I do." She watched as Laura stood up and took one of her hands, guiding it to her belly. "You can sit in the bed if you want, Laura. You'll be much more comfortable."

Laura smiled and followed Emily's instructions. "Just... wait a little bit. She doesn't stay too much time without moving at this time of the day" she said as she moved Emily's hand. It was a little bit colder than usual, and her strength seemed to have decreased, but the smile on Emily's lips somehow assured Laura it wasn't still her time. She was there, enjoying the moment. Suddenly, she felt a kick against the spot where Emily's palm was resting. Emily jumped a little bit with surprise. "You've felt this?" she asked her joyfully.

Emily closed her eyes and nodded. "Yes, I did. She's quite strong." She opened her eyes again and looked at Laura, who was beaming with maternal pride. "Your husband must be really excited about it too."

Laura's smile widened even more, if that was possible. "Oh, you should see him... When we're alone he looks at me as if his heart is melting all the time. And he's worrying constantly... I guess it's normal, but it makes him just adorable..."

The other woman croaked. "Yes it is... Though I would've never thought the word '_adorable_' could be used to describe the Admiral" Emily said raising her eyebrows in amusement.

Laura giggled wholeheartedly. "Nor would I, but you should see him... If I dared to ask for it, he would give me a moon..." she said with a soft voice.

"You both are going to be great parents" Emily assured her. "Your daughter is going to be a lucky kid."

Laura chuckled, amused by Emily's words. "We're going to do our best, but nothing's for sure. I mean, I only have experience dealing with older children, always inside of a classroom." She had just lied. She had taken care of Hera more than once back in New Caprica, and she had often babysat her co-workers or friends' children as a favour. But those experiences were far from taking care of your own child, a new-born, twenty-four hours a day.

"Don't fool yourself, Laura" Emily said, taking her out of her thoughts. "You are going to be a great mother, and you know it. Maybe you're scared now, but you'll be confident when you hold your daughter in your arms for the first time."

Emily had hit the right spot. She was scared. Yes, she was really happy about the pregnancy, she couldn't deny it, but she was scared of many things too. The birth. Would she be a good mother? Would she be able to protect her child? Would her daughter have to fear the cylons just as much as they did? Would she be able to see her daughter grow up?

"Hey, stop thinking about it" Emily said as soon as she noticed Laura's brain was tickling. "If so many people have been able to do it before, so will you" she said with a confident voice. Then, she caressed Laura's belly through the fabric of her shirt and smiled. "I know; motherhood can be quite scary... You give birth to a little child and then your whole life revolves around it" she said with a sad smile. "And you fear the loss... But when it comes, _if_ _it comes_, you eventually learn how to live with it, even if it becomes an open wound you'll never be able to completely heal." Her voice broke a little bit, but there was no sign of tears on her eyes. She cleared her throat, trying to steady her voice. "There's no way it can heal. Your only option is to learn to live with it..." She remained in silence for a moment and then smiled again. "I love my children, and I'll never forget them. When I die, I'll be with them again; that's why I don't fear death anymore..." Emily closed her eyes tightly and let out a breath she had been holding for a while. Both she and Laura realized the words she had just said were true. Emily didn't fear death anymore.

Laura smiled sadly and squeezed her friend's hand tightly. "Emily, I..." she looked into the other woman's eyes doubtful. "I'm sorry..."

"There's nothing to be sorry for" she said with a confident voice. "All of us have lost our dear ones..." she didn't finish her sentence; instead, she brought her other hand to Laura's arm and smiled warmly. "Birth can be quite scary the first time, but worrying about it beforehand won't do you any good. Just relax and don't think about it until it comes. Once you're done with it and you have your little one on your arms it won't matter. It will be magic. In a second, just like that, your little child's going to have you wrapped around her little finger."

Laura smiled widely and squeezed Emily's hand. "I know..."

Emily chuckled a little bit. "No, you don't" she said kindly. "You have no idea how much it will change your perception of the world..." After Emily's words a deep silence build between the two of them. Laura didn't know what to say. "Have you... thought of a name yet?" Emily asked her with a thin voice, breaking the silence.

Laura, grateful for the question, smiled. "No; not really..." she recognized. "We've never talked about it... I guess we'll do it at the last moment."

"That's always a good option, but don't go for a too strange name..." she said with her eyes half closed.

"Don't worry, I won't let Bill choose it on his own" Laura said smirking. "Are you okay?" she asked her friend, worried as she watched how Emily was barely able to keep her eyes open on her own.

Emily smiled faintly. "Yes... I'm just very tired..." she admitted with a thin voice. "And I think my dose is wearing off... Will you get Cottle for me?"

Laura looked at her concerned and nodded. "Of course I will." She carefully stood from the bed, trying not to cause her any pain.

The other woman shot a look towards her. "Laura, my time's already here. There's nothing any of us can do about it... But... I want to wish you my best..." she said with a thinner voice.

"Emily..." Laura said with a broken voice, feeling a gig lump form in her throat.

"No" the other woman said with a warm voice. "Don't cry for me... I'll be happy... I'll cross the river. I don't want more pain... I can't take it anymore."

Laura walked towards her and took her hand again. "I won't leave your side until the moment comes... But I won't cry, I promise."

Emily closed her eyes and nodded her head slightly, with a little happy smile on her lips, waiting for Laura to get the doctor to give her what would be her last dose; to finally reunite with her family.


	35. XXXV

_This is the longest chapter so far. I hope you enjoy it!  
_

* * *

**XXXV.**

_The first thing Laura noticed was the warm breeze on her hair, something she hadn't experienced in a long time. It was refreshing. _

_She opened her eyes for an instant and light immediately blinded her. It surrounded her; it was coming from everywhere… It was coming from the sun, shining upon her head, she guessed. She couldn't really see it, but she felt the heat of the sun rays on her skin. _

_She closed her eyes again, taking a moment to enjoy the rays of the sun upon her skin, heating it in a way no fire or blanket could. It wasn't that Galactica was cold, but nothing could compare to the heat coming from the sun. _

_She suddenly noticed a familiar smell. Water. _

_When she opened her eyes, more accustomed to the bright light, she confirmed she hadn't been wrong. Water was all around her, under the blue sky, reflecting the light from the sun. She could hear the sound of the water flowing, but there was something else... Was it some kind of bird? Some voices maybe? She couldn't be sure of it. _

_Suddenly something clicked in her brain. She was on a boat._

_She looked all around her and confirmed it. Yes, she was on a boat, surrounded by water, and there was a distant shore disguised in the middle of a thick fog. And she wasn't alone. There was someone with her. _

_"Emily?" she asked doubtful as she battered her eyelashes and looked closer at her companion. "Is it really you?"_

_The other woman arched one of her eyebrows and smiled widely, amused by Laura's questions. "Of course it's me, Laura. Who would it be instead?"_

_But Laura didn't still believe her eyes. She took another look at the woman standing in front of her, amazed, suddenly noticing her appearance had changed since the last time she had seen her; her hair was longer and shiny, her eyes were glowing, her cheeks were tinged in pink, and she was standing, looking at Laura with her brightest smile. There was no trace of illness or exhaustion in her. She was at ease. She looked _healthy_ and _alive_. _

_"Don't look at me as if I was a ghost" Emily told her in a soft voice. "I'm right here," she insisted, "you can feel it." She took a couple of steps forward, towards Laura, and touched her arm, trying to make her understand she wasn't a vision. "I'm real."_

_Laura closed her eyes for an instant and breathed deeply, filling her nostrils with the smell of the water. It all felt real, more than any of her dreams or visions; she was the owner of all her actions; she wasn't being forced to do anything. When she opened her eyes again, she looked at Emily. "I saw you die... This afternoon you died in front of me..."_

_The other woman didn't lose her smile. "I know, Laura. And I also know you kept your promise; you didn't cry."_

_She really didn't know why, but something in Emily's words made her believe it all was true. "Is this one the boat you told me about?" she asked breathlessly, overwhelmed by the idea. Emily simply nodded, confirming her suspicion. "Are we crossing the river?"_

_Emily smirked and took her hand, guiding her to the rail. "We are Laura" she confirmed while her eyes were lost in the shore. "I had nothing left to do, and my family's been waiting for me in that shore for too long..."_

_Laura nodded in understanding and looked at the horizon. They remained in silence for a while, just enjoying the sun and the breeze on their skins. But something was bothering Laura, and she wasn't able to keep it to herself. "We're crossing the river... Then what am I doing here?" she asked in a thin voice, almost a whisper. _

_Emily's lips perked up. "Saying goodbye" she simply replied. After a while, though, she talked again, trying to answer the doubts she was sure Laura had. "I know I told you I was ready to go, but it doesn't mean I was ready to say goodbye..." the woman said looking at her. "That's why I brought you here."_

_Laura looked at her friend and smiled wholeheartedly. "I will miss you..."_

_"I'll miss you too, but in not too long you won't have time to" she said before staring at the shore again. There was another long silence between the two of them, until they got closer to their destiny."I also wanted to show this to you." Laura looked at her doubtful, but Emily just plastered a big smile on her lips. "Just... wait. You'll see."_

_They both stayed in silence for a while, as they closer and closer to the shore. The boat suddenly stopped moving when they got near it, but it was empty. It was only a land covered in grass. "Is that all?" Laura asked doubtful. _

_Emily didn't immediately reply. Instead, she smiled absentmindedly, staring at the sight in front of her eyes. "Look more closely... It isn't empty Laura."_

_Laura then did as Emily asked her to and stared at the shore. Slowly, she started making out some shapes moving in the background, amidst the fog. After a while, she noticed they were people; people that were walking towards the shore, getting closer to the boat and them. They were all smiling, walking gleefully, and Emily was smiling widely at them. "They are here, Laura" she said excitedly. "They've come, all of them."_

_Laura battered her eyelashes, and when she opened her eyes again, Emily was at the shore, surrounded by people. She watched the scene with a smile on her lips; it was time Emily reunited with her family. _

_But there was another group of people in the shore, looking at the boat; looking at her, waiting for her. When she recognized them, she immediately covered her mouth and felt a lump form in her throat. Her parents and her sisters. They were there waiting for her. What was that supposed to mean? Did she have the cross the river too? _

_But all her brain was able to process at that exact moment was the fact that her mother was staring at her, with a wide smile on her lips. She had been close with all the embers of her family, but the bond she had with her mother had always been stronger than the ones she had with all of them. _

_Emily was also looking at her. She has stopped the little celebration with her loved ones and looked at Laura worried. "Come, Laura" she shouted at her. "Come. That's why I brought you here. Cross the river!"_

_Laura stared at them all doubtful. She took a couple of steps back and felt her lip quiver. "I don't know how to... I can't" she whispered. _

_The other woman didn't stop looking at her friend. "Don't be scared of it. Everything's going to be alright. Close your eyes and trust me" she shouted. "Cross with me" Emily said as she extended one of her hands towards Laura. _

_She took one more step back and looked at Emily doubtfully. But everyone at the shore was smiling at her. She breathed deeply and took a leap of faith. She closed her eyes, taking a step forward. _

_Before opening her eyes again she felt a hand touching her arm. When she opened them, she saw it was Emily, who was also smiling at her. "Enjoy this Laura. You deserve it. That's my last present."_

_Laura looked at her with a big smile and hugged her. "Thank you, Emily" she said near the other woman's eyes, with a shaky voice. She suddenly felt Emily slowly vanishing, until she completely disappeared, and so did all the people who had been surrounding her. The only people left in the shore were Laura and her family. _

_She didn't move from her spot. Instead she looked at each member of her family in awe; they looked just like she remembered them, like in the good old days before the accident. She took her time to look at each one of them before she approached them or said a word. Her father was looking at her with a wide smile, and so were her sisters. That made Laura's heart warm. But it was the sight of her mother what struck her the most. She looked radiant, with her hair long and white, and her eyes were glowing in a mix of tears and pride. She took a couple of steps towards her daughter and hugged her tightly. _

_"My darling..." the older Roslin whispered into Laura's ear. Several tears escaped her eyes as she heard her mother's voice, as velvety and sweet as she remembered it. It was the same voice that she had used when she'd been a child. "You don't know how much I've missed being able to do this" the woman said as Laura buried her head on her mother's hair. She smelled just like she remembered it. "You've been so brave and strong all this time... You deserve your happiness, baby" she said placing a kiss to her daughter's temple and caressing her hair. "In love, married and with child - who would have guessed it back in the time?" the woman asked with her softest voice, widening her smile and letting a couple of tears roll down her cheeks. "I'm really glad to see you like this."_

_Laura felt the lump in her throat growing into a throbbing pain. Her resolve to keep herself as together as possible failed irremediably. Before she was able to stop it, she started sobbing uncontrollably against her mother's chest. She suddenly felt several hands on her back and shoulders, trying to soothe her. She immediately recognized them; her father's big and strong palm, always gentle, so much like Bill's hand, and then both her sisters' hands, small, delicate and soft. Cheryl's fingers were longer and Sandra's ones were more delicate. She knew them very well. _

_She felt her mother's hug growing weaker, and two gentle hands, her mother's ones, separated her from her chest. She still had tears rolling down her cheeks, but her sobs has been controlled and stopped. _

_"It's good to see you, Laura" said Sandra, her youngest sister. "I've missed you..."_

_"We all did" finished Cheryl, smiling slightly. "But you've never been alone; all this time we've been looking after you."_

_Her father walked towards her and caressed her cheek softly. "You've made us proud, darling" he said with a warm voice, throwing his arms around her and hugging his oldest daughter tightly. _

_Then it was her mother's turn again. She took one of her hands and squeezed it gently. "You've done great things, and you've still got more to do." Laura nodded at her mother's words and blushed. Then, her mother laid her spare palm on her belly and smiled widely, feeling her granddaughter move. "I would've loved to be there for you, but it hasn't been possible" she said lowering her voice a little bit. _

_That made Laura realize her mother missed her more than she had admitted; she would've liked to be there for her during her illness, when she was alone in a position she hadn't asked for, and she would've liked to be with her during the last months, with everything that had happened. Sandra had been pregnant, but the accident killed both her and her son; her daughter would be Judith's first grandchild. She would be the only member of the third generation of the Roslin family. It was hard on all of them, she realized. She smiled sadly and looked at the four members of her family, for an instant wishing they could be by her side forever. _

_"But you have William, and it calms all of us..." her mother said with a smile on her lips. "He's going to be by your side no matter what happens." She paused and looked into her daughter's eyes. "I like him," she assured her with a soft voice, "we all do."_

_Laura smiled widely. She had often wondered what her family would think of Bill. Knowing they liked her made her even surer about their relationship. "I love him, mum," she admitted, "and I love our daughter."_

_Her mother cupped her cheeks softly. "I know you do." She paused and widened her smile. "He's going to be a great father and you, darling, are going to be awesome." She laid a palm on Laura's belly again and looked at it lovingly, drawing soft patterns over it. "She's going to be a true beauty..."_

_Meanwhile, Laura raised her eyes and noticed a human figure in the middle of the fog, walking towards them. It slowly came closer, but she was too excited about being with her family to pay too much attention to it. _

_When Laura looked at her mother again, Judith removed her palm and looked into her daughter's eyes. "She'll steal both your hearts the moment you see her." The older Roslin smiled wholeheartedly. "We'll look after her too."_

_She looked up again and saw a young man looking back at her, doubtful. "Laura?" he asked unsure, in a voice that sounded somewhat familiar. "Are you Laura Roslin?"_

_She stared at him, forgetting about her family for a moment. There was something odd there; she could swear she had never seen that man, but he looked all too familiar. She could see it especially in his eyes; in them there was something she was used to seeing, but she couldn't quite identify what it was. "Yes, it's me" she eventually replied, at what the man sighed relieved. He smiled, with one of those genuine smiles she had only seen on -. Something suddenly clicked on her brain. She had only seen those eyes and smile on Bill and Lee. Her heart started beating faster, overwhelmed the idea that had crossed her mind. She needed to know if it was true. "You are Zak, aren't you?" she asked, confused. _

_He smiled widely. "Yes, that's me..." he admitted. "I know this is awkward, and I 'm sorry if I'm interrupting your family reunion, but I've wanted to meet you for a long time... I didn't want to miss my opportunity" he explained. Lords of Kobol, how had she not recognized him at first sight? He was so much like Bill, even more than Lee was. He had the same eyes, smile, voice, hair and physiognomy. He had really taken after his father. "I'm glad to finally meet you."_

_She smiled back and took a couple of steps towards him. Then, she touched his arm, trying to convince herself that he was real, and Zak allowed her to do so. In fact, he touched her other arm, trying to assure her he was really there. "I'm glad to meet you too..." she finally said. Then, she battered her eyelashes and looked at him in amazement. "Oh, Lords, you look so much like your father..."_

_"I know. That's what they always said." He smiled widely and patted her arm with affection. Surprisingly, Laura didn't stiffen or ask him to stop. "You are making my father happy. More than he's ever been, this I can assure you" he said looking into her eyes, watching her blush. "I really like to see him like that" he continued. "And I'm really glad about the girl..."_

_Laura's lips immediately quirked up. "So are we" she assured him. She then noticed the curious look in his eyes. "Do you want to feel her?" she asked softly. _

_Zak nodded and allowed Laura to guide his hand to where his sister's tiny feet were pressing against Laura's flesh. He smiled, marveled. "She's strong..." he whispered. After a moment, he stared into Laura's green eyes. "After all this time since you came into my father's life, I feel like I've always known you."_

_Laura led out a breath and looked at him. "And I, instead, know really little about you... Only what I've overheard."_

_He nodded. "Even after all this time and all that's happened in between, they still find it hard to talk about it... I know it. And just too much has happened since then…" he said with a sad voice. "Will you tell them I'm fine, please? Tell them it wasn't their fault; it was nobody's fault." Laura nodded, not saying a word. "That goes especially for Kara. Tell her I'm happy that she's found Sam... Tell them all I miss them, and tell dad and Lee I love them..."_

_She nodded and took his hands between hers'. "Yes, I'll do that."_

_"And... Will you make sure my sister knows about me?" he said smiling slightly. "I would like to somehow be a part of her life."_

_Laura brought one of her hands to her belly, to caress it, and held Zak's ones with the other. "You can be sure I'll do that. I'll make sure she knows you."_

_He smiled widely at her. "Thank you" he said. "I would have enjoyed meeting you, Laura."_

_She smiled back. "For what I've heard about you, I believe I would have liked it too."_

_Laura then felt a hand lie on her shoulder, and she looked behind her, to find her mother. "Baby, it's time. You have to leave."_

_She then looked at the five people surrounding her. "I would like to stay here with you, all of you, forever..." she breathed. _

_Her mother smirked. "You can't, and you really don't want to. Emily has let us meet, but you have to get back to your people, Laura."_

_She shook her head. "I can't leave; not right now... There's so much I want to tell you, so much I want to ask..." she said in a plea. _

_Judith caressed her daughter's hand. "We know it... but you need to leave" she said with a tear rolling down her cheek. It was also difficult for her, for all of them. "Darling, remember we'll always be looking after you... You'll never be alone."_

_Laura closed her eyes for an instant, and when she opened them again, she was in the boat. Her family was in the shore, waving her goodbye. The five of them. _

* * *

She woke up calmly, with one of Bill's arms over her waist and with the fingers of his other hand tangled in her hair; she could feel it. She slowly opened her eyes, and saw a pair of deep blue eyes looking back at her. He was lying down beside her, facing her, watching her with a small smile on his lips. She smiled back at him, slowly starting to remember her dream; her vision. She had been there, she was sure of it.

He moved his hand from behind her waist to her cheek, and removed a trail of tears she had not noticed were there. His other hand didn't move from her hair; it continued caressing the scalp of her head soothingly. Trying to remove the tears from her other cheek was of no use; they all were in the pillow, wetting it. "Are you okay?" he whispered softly, with a hint of worry in his voice. "Has it been one of your dreams?"

Laura smiled sweetly and drew her body closer to Bill's. "Yes... No" she whispered, uncertain about what to say. Would Bill believe her if she told him the truth? After thinking about it for an instant she realized she had to tell him, even if he didn't believe her. She needed to share it with somebody. He would listen to her with an open mind.

He was looking at her with curiosity, but he didn't say a word. He knew that pressing for an answer never worked with her. When she covered the hand that was resting on her cheek, he smiled. "Do you remember when I told you about Emily's dream? The one about crossing the river?"

He nodded slightly. "Yes, I do." It was true, he remembered it. Listening her mention it somehow calmed Bill; he had been worried, Laura hadn't cried over Emily's death, not even a single tear. Maybe what she had to say would be the explanation for it.

Laura noticed the look in Bill's eyes and caressed his hand with her delicate fingers, trying to show him she was alright. "She brought me there" she whispered, with a big smile on her lips. Some parts of what had happened were still foggy on her memory, but she was slowly starting to remember it all. "She said goodbye properly and left, but she made me a present."

Bill looked at her, more consumed by curiosity than ever, but Laura just closed her eyes absentmindedly and brought her spare hand to rest on her belly. "What was it?" he asked softly.

She opened her eyes and looked straight into his eyes. "My family" she said, quirking up her lips as much as she was able to. "I saw them there, in the shore... and I crossed the river. It was them, they were real... They all were just as I remembered them, like they were at their best moment. Their looks, their voices, their smell, their touch..." she explained, without losing her smile. She wanted to share it with him. She would never be sad again when she remembered her past, not after what had happened in her sleep. "I was there... it wasn't only a dream."

"I believe you, my dear" he assured her. Why did he have to doubt her words? She had always been so sure about things like that before, there was no reason to think it was different that time. She wouldn't lie about something like that.

"I talked with them... And you should have seen them..." she paused and removed her hand from over his one, bringing it over his cheek to caress it. "They like you."

His smile grew brighter. "I think I would have liked them too if I ever got to meet them" he said sweetly. "If they were anything like you, I would have adored him."

Laura stared at him in silence for a while, as if her mind was spinning. "You know," she started after a while, "I would have liked to meet you before the attacks and get to introduce you to my parents, expose you to my sisters' judgments... And then you'd have had to introduce me to your children..."

Bill smiled sadly and moved closer to her, to kiss the top of her nose. "I would have done that, indeed. Lee might have not approved it at first, but you'd have quickly won him. And Zak... he would've loved you the moment I introduced the two of you." Once he said that, he noticed how Laura's body immediately stiffened. Her eyes were widely opened, just like her lips. He was worried. "Laura? My dear, what's happening?" he whispered.

Laura battered her eyelashes and looked at him. His words had made her remember the last bit from her experience. "It's nothing" she assured him, smiling slightly. "There was something I didn't remember at first... Your son, Zak... he was also there." Laura felt Bill's body stiffening, and she resumed caressing his cheek lovingly. "I... also talked with him. He wanted to meet me, and he wanted me to tell something to Lee, Kara and you..." Laura looked at him unsure, and saw the tears glowing in his eyes. She had to tell him. She had promised she would tell them. "He's fine... He just wants you to know what happened wasn't anybody's fault. And... he loves you." She smiled slightly and saw Bill's lips curving up. "He said that... He's been looking after you, and he will do the same with his sister."

He looked into his wife's eyes and knew she wasn't lying. She was saying the truth. Just as he had done with her when she woke up, Laura removed the tears from his cheeks. "Is he okay?" was all he managed to ask.

She smiled sweetly and caressed his cheek. "He is, my dear. And he looks just like you... He's an attractive young man, and for what I got to see of him, he's also got his father's brains…"

Bill removed his hand from her cheek and threw it over her waist, drawing her body closer to his'. "Thank you for telling me... Thank you so much..." Laura tried to make him shut up, but he didn't let her. Instead, he smiled widely and approached his lips to her ear. "We're going to find it" he whispered, confident, before returning his head to the pillow to look at her.

She looked at him utterly confused. "What is it that we're going to find?" she asked him frowning.

His smile grew even wider. "Earth" he stated as he pressed his hand against her back. "Together." He noticed the look on her eyes again; she thought he had gone crazy, he had to explain himself. "You know it better than anyone... I used to think it was a pipe dream, I used to use it as a carrot for the fleet..."

Laura still didn't quite understand why he was bringing up that subject, but he had left her curious. "What made you change, dear?"

He looked into her eyes and smiled before giving a peck to her lips. "You" he whispered against them. Then, he separated his face from her skin and looked into her eyes again. "You made me believe" he said with his sweetest voice, speaking the truth right out from his heart. If something like what Laura had experienced could happen, why couldn't Earth be real? At that moment he saw it more clearly than ever; if someone could bring them all to Earth, it was Laura. She was special.


	36. XXXVI

**XXXVI.**

Laura was on her quarters, alone, reclined in the couch with a blanket over her legs, reading. She had returned from Emily's funeral only an hour ago. There hadn't been much people there and it had been simple, just as Emily would have liked; not that it really mattered. She wasn't really there anymore; she was already on the other side of the River, with her loved ones.

She suddenly felt observed. She hadn't heard any sound, but it wouldn't be the first time she found herself in a similar situation. She slowly raised her eyes, without moving her head, scanning the room for an intruder. It could be neither Bill nor Lee, both of them were busy working at that time of the day, and it couldn't be Tory. When she noticed the blonde pilot standing beside the closed door, she wasn't surprised at all. She smiled slightly. Who could be standing there in silence watching her beside Kara Thrace? At least that time she wasn't pointing a gun towards her.

The redhead finally raised her head and stared at the other woman, who was looking back at her. For a moment she wondered if the woman Zak Adama had once known and loved was still there, somewhere. Maybe her visit wasn't just a coincidence; she had appeared just when Laura had a message for her.

No matter how hard she tried to at that moment, she wasn't able to feel any kind of resentment towards the woman that had not so long ago held her at gunpoint. Her insistence had ended up with the cylon rebels joining them and promising them a way to Earth; a tangible one. That was all she wanted lately, to finally complete her duty, to be able to give a safe home for all her people.

Kara kept watching her from the door, with her eyes full of doubt. Her last visit there was probably on her mind, but maybe it wasn't it. Laura couldn't be sure, not with someone like Kara. She could have a thousand different things on her mind at that precise moment. With people like Starbuck you could never know.

The blonde took a step towards the couch, what made Laura close the book she had on her hands and rest it on her lap. "You're having those visions, aren't you?" Kara asked, staring right into the other woman's eyes.

Laura wasn't really that surprised; then Baltar's words had also reached Kara. It was something she hadn't expected, but it wasn't strange. She didn't answer or react to the other woman's question; she only kept the visual contact between the two of them, without blinking, while a small smile crept into her lips. It wasn't a mere coincidence.

Apparently, it didn't please Kara. She was looking for an actual answer for her question. She walked towards Laura and locked eyes with her. "_Thus shall it come to pass_" she started reciting, with a low but steady voice. "_The dying leader shall know the truth of the Opera House_."

Laura stared at the younger woman, unable to say a word, suddenly frozen. The book that had been resting on her lap fell to the floor as she covered her belly with her hands defensively, feeling her intimacy had been violently violated. Had she heard it right? "What..." she breathed in a whisper, unable to find her voice. She tried it again. "What did you just say?"

Kara was clearly surprised by her reaction; it was not exactly what she had expected. She didn't think the woman would take it that seriously. "That _'Thus shall it come to pass_ -"

"No" Laura quickly said, cutting her off with a steady voice. "The Opera House."

The blonde took several steps towards her until she was nearly on Laura's side and sat at the other end of the couch. Without breaking the eye contact, she started repeating her words. "_The dying leader shall know the truth of the Opera House_."

Laura battered her eyelashes, still startled, trying to find a meaning to those words. Where had Kara taken them from? There was no way Kara could know about the content of her visions, and Baltar had never known what they were about; if he had he would have shared it with the Fleet just to expose her even more than he already did. "How did..." she tried, but the lump on her throat forced her to stop her words. She breathed deeply and stared into the other woman's eyes. "Where did you hear that?" she whispered in a thin voice, almost inaudible, feeling her upper lip quivering. "Who told you that?"

Kara's eyes softened as she realized the true impact her words had on Laura; she had never seen the President so exposed before. She didn't want to make it last any longer than strictly necessary. "The hybrid" she simply said. The confusion and horror on the redhead's face became even more evident than before. She owed the woman a better explanation, even if she wasn't a big fan of her at the moment; despite their shared past. They had once had a good relationship; she knew the President had a good heart. "The hybrid from the rebel cylons' baseship, before they unplugged it" she added, lowering her voice.

"The... hybrid?" Laura managed to ask after a long silence. "How does the hybrid know what's on my dreams?"

The younger woman shrugged her shoulders. "I wish I knew, really..." she said truthfully, looking at Laura doubtfully. There was something else. "But that's not all it said, Madame President..." she admitted, softening her eyes even more.

For an instant Laura could've sworn she had seen pity in Kara's eyes. What could the woman possibly say that could affect more than revealing the nature of her visions? Was there something she could say that would hit her even more closely, that would feel like a bigger violation?

Starbuck cleared her throat and looked into Laura's deep green eyes. "I don't understand all of it, but I'm sure it's all about you. Maybe you'll be able to know what it means or what it refers to." The woman paused for an instant and then started reciting the hybrid's words of by heart, from the beginning to the end. "_Thus shall it come to pass. The dying leader shall know the truth of the Opera House. The one who leads the Caravan of Heavens to a new home. The one who crossed the River and talks with the dead. The one whose womb carries humanity's hope._"

Laura battered her eyelashes and pressed her palms tighter against her belly, trying to understand and process all Kara had just said. The caravan to Earth, the River, the dead... and her child. When Laura realized it a shiver run down her spine. _'Humanity's hope_' was what she had called her daughter... What was that supposed to mean? How could the hybrid know about her pregnancy?

She moved her hands to cover her belly as much as she could, to protect her little one. It was crazy. There was no way the cylons could know about her child or her visions. And... how could that hybrid know she would cross the river and talk with the dead, with the loved ones that had come to meet her there? It had happened the previous night... That hybrid wasn't like the other cylons at all. Laura knew the cylons were quite religious and all, but if it was true the hybrid had said those words, then there was something else there she wasn't able to understand at the moment. Those words seemed to fit her just as much as the 'Book of Pythia' and its prophecies had once fit her life perfectly. Was it some kind of prophecy? The realization that she was the _'dying leader_' again suddenly hit her. "Am I... going to die?" she muttered under her breath, frozen, no sound really leaving her mouth.

Laura suddenly realized she wouldn't be able to live with a doubt like that. She needed to know more about it all, somehow. She had to hear those words from that hybrid; see it with her own eyes. It all was hitting too close home.

Laura looked at Kara and shot her a pleading look. "I need to know how it knows all this about me" she almost whispered, unable to raise her voice. "I need to... understand... to know. I can't..." She stopped for a moment, trying to regain the control over her voice. "This has got to stop; these visions. I've got to find out about these visions." She cleared her throat slightly and stared into the other woman's eyes. "I've got to know." Her voice came out stronger and steady that time. "Will you help me, Kara?"

The younger woman nodded her head slightly. She didn't enjoy watching Laura being so exposed; the President had never been one for public emotional displays. Kara still remembered the straight face and composure the other woman had once kept as she was telling her she was dying of cancer; she had admired her for that, it had shown her the woman was much stronger than any of them believed. She hadn't done an emotional display then, but at that moment her face was a poem and her emotions were written all over her. Was that one the real Laura Roslin, the woman the Old Man had married? A real woman, with her ups and downs, who worried about the future and tried to protect her child. Her hands hadn't moved from their protective position over her belly ever since Kara had first repeated the hybrid's words. Was the woman scared? That time Laura had told her about her illness it was all about her, only her, but that time it wasn't only about her anymore, was it? It also concerned the child she was carrying and maybe even the Old Man. Maybe that was what had changed her reaction; maybe Laura Roslin was a human after all.

After a long silence, Kara answered Laura's question. "Yes, I will... But before that I want to know something" she said, to what Laura nodded slightly. "That thing about the River and all... is it really true?"

Laura shut her eyes tightly and breathed deeply. She had promised she would give the message and that was the best moment to do it, but if she led it out just like that the woman would think she was crazy and wouldn't believe her, and she couldn't really know how the younger woman could react... "I'm going to tell you something, but I need to know you will believe what I say" Laura said with a thin, exhausted voice. "This is something I can't understand; something I believe because I know is true, without questioning it. I need you to do the same."

The younger woman nodded her head slightly, somehow aware that what she was about to hear was something relevant. "Fair enough; talk. I won't judge. I know how it feels when everyone thinks you're crazy."

Laura caressed her belly lovingly and looked right into Kara's eyes, with a small smile on her lips. "This _River_ you mentioned is the transition between life and death; the final stage the soul has to cross before resting forever. Us the living are somewhere else; we have to cross the river with a boat to get to the shore, where our loved ones await us" she explained. "A friend died yesterday, and she somehow managed to get me there with her, to say goodbye properly." Laura paused for an instant and noticed Kara was looking back at her without blinking. "We were on the boat and the shore was waiting for us. She allowed me to cross and then stay there for a while. There I met my parents, my sisters, and..." She looked at Kara doubtful, not knowing what to do. But she had made a promise and she would keep it. "And Zak; he came to meet me."

The surprise in Kara's eyes was evident. She blinked and looked at Laura with her mouth wide-opened. "What?" she asked in disbelief, raising her voice to a higher pitch. "This can't be true... You never met him. Even if what you say is true, you have _no right_ to see him when those who knew and loved him have never been able to see him..."

The older woman waited until Kara was a little bit calmed to talk to her. "As I already said, I can't really explain why it happened; I just know I was there... And he came after I met my family. He looked so much like Bill... He wanted to talk with me, about his sister," she said resting a hand on her belly and smiling, "but he also wanted me to talk with his brother, Bill, and... you" she finally admitted.

Kara's expression had softened. What reason had the other woman to be lying to her about something like that? She wouldn't lose her chance to hear what Zak had told her, but she needed to be sure before raising her expectations. "Have you told the Old Man?" Kara asked in a low voice, aware that Laura wouldn't lie about something like that to him, knowing perfectly how something like that could affect him.

"Yes" Laura said without losing her smile. "As soon as I woke up and remembered all of it." She paused and looked at the other woman. "Look, I knew it would be hard on him at first, but I couldn't keep it from him, just like I can't keep it from you or from Lee as soon as I see him."

The blonde nodded absentmindedly, not really listening to Laura's words. If she had told Bill, then it was true; it was as easy as that. After a while, she opened her mouth. "You said he asked you to tell me something."

Laura saw the pain in the young woman's eyes. "Yes, he did." She paused and took a deep breath. "He wanted me to tell you that he's fine. He wants the three of you to know that what happened was nobody's fault. And... he's happy to see you with Sam Anders. He wants you to be happy with him."

Kara looked into the empty space and put a small smirk on her lips. After a while, she looked at Laura with several tears rolling down her cheeks. "It sounds a lot like Zak Adama... I believe you, Laura."

She nodded her head slightly with a wide smile set on her lips. "Thank you" she breathed. "I need your help, Kara. I've got to find out about these visions and why they keep coming."

"What can I do?" the blonde asked, looking at Laura with a serious expression on her face.

Laura shook her head from one side to the other, with her eyes closed, trying to come up with a plan. "Get me Captain Agathon... And once I am on the baseship, tell Bill where I am and why. Will you do that, please?"

The blonde nodded. "Yes, I will. And..." she started, but stopped suddenly, not knowing if it would be right to continue. Laura's warm smile encouraged her to do so. "Take care of you and the Old Man's daughter. He's going to have me personally killed if anything happens to any of you."

Laura's smile widened, touched by Kara's concern. "I will. Don't worry."

* * *

The last time she had been on a Raptor had been a while ago. She had been unconscious back then; they had to rush her to Galactica's sickbay after she passed out in Colonial One. No, being there didn't bring her good memories at all.

She sat there, inside the raptor, with a book on her lap. She was starting to feel guilty about not telling Bill about her visit to the baseship. But she couldn't tell him; he wouldn't allow her to go there, and she needed to go. She needed answers. She needed to know what the hybrid knew exactly about her and why.

Laura clutched the book tighter. _'Searider Falcon'_. It was like having an actual piece of Bill with her. He wouldn't be pleased; he would be angry. But he would eventually understand the reasons behind her escape to the cylon baseship.

She lowered her eyes to look at the book, only partially visible, hidden by her swollen belly, and smiled widely remembering all the good moments she had shared with Bill while he was reading the book aloud to her. Having it with her, reading it, would help her keep her mind awake during the trip to the baseship and ignore Gaius Baltar.

The man was making them wait for him. When he finally appeared, Laura couldn't help it. "Speaking of the devil..." she whispered under her breath, lowering her head so that the man wouldn't notice her lips moving. Lords of Kobol, she couldn't stand even the sight of the man! He was more than she could take.

When Laura looked at him, she found Baltar looking back at her with a superiority smile on his lips. "Of course... Could anyone tell me why I am here?" he demanded.

She did her best not to roll her eyes. Instead, she sighed slightly and put a fake smile on her lips, her political one, as she avoided breaking the eye contact. She was the one who was in command there. "Have a seat" she instructed the man. "We're going to settle this down" she simply told him.

He raised one of his brows. "What's to settle? And, by the way, why am I being forced to join you?"

She led out a sigh. Lords, that man could be really exhausting. He wouldn't shut up until he knew every little detail. Laura didn't answer him immediately on purpose. After a long silence, brightened by Baltar's sighs and eye-rolls, she opened her mouth. "You are here because we are going to find out about my visions, those I've been sharing with Sharon Agathon and the Six." He didn't need to know she sometimes was alone in them. It didn't change anything; it only concerned her.

The look in the man's face was priceless. Laura had really taken him by surprise. His whole face looked like a poem. "Wha - what? So..." he stammered. "So I was right? You're really having visions? Laura Roslin acknowledging I was only speaking the truth?"

Lords, that man was always a surprise. So he was more concerned about being right about the visions than about the nature of them or the reason he was in that raptor. No, she could never take the man's mind for granted. He was a box full of surprises, most of them unpleasant ones. "Yes, _I am having the visions_. And if you excuse me, I've got better things to do than listening to a grown man pointing out obvious facts; thank you."

He smirked wickedly. "I see, so this is how we're going to play it..."

Laura shot a death glare towards him. Really, she would never be able to understand how Tory could have ever fallen on his trap, or how she had betrayed her for a man like that... So arrogant, so... ridiculously full of himself.

"And... If I may know, what is it that we have to do now?" he asked with true curiosity in his voice. "Are we supposed to sit here until one of us falls asleep?"

She smirked and held the book on her lap tighter. "The hybrid of the baseship spoke of an Opera House and a dying leader" she explained patiently. "We're going to talk to the hybrid."

Baltar looked at her with a weird look in his eyes. "And why would you require my presence?" he asked without erasing one of his all-knowing smirks from his lips.

That time it was Laura who smiled widely; her first real smile since the man had joined her. She would surely take him by surprise. "Because you are in my visions. Didn't whoever told you about the visions mention that to you?"

Yes, she had been right. Baltar's face at that exact moment was just priceless. He hadn't known anything at all about it.


	37. XXXVII

_First of all, I would like to apologise for updating later than I usually do, but this weeks are being a little bit crazy.  
I don't know when the next update will be, because I've got finals right after Christmas and that means I'll be using the holidays to study...  
_

_In this chapter you have Laura's and Bill's storylines combined. I don't think it would be hard to follow, though.  
I hope you enjoy it!  
_

* * *

**XXXVII.**

"You let her do what?" Bill asked rising his voice, staring at the blonde woman with real anger in his eyes.

"I just did what she had asked me to do" Kara replied calmly. "And she told me to wait until she had left because she knew you wouldn't like the idea…"

"What were you thinking, Kara?" he asked walking closer to the woman, his nostrils flaring in anger. "She's the President… Did you even think about how valuable she could be to them? They could perfectly keep her as a hostage!"

Kara shook her head. "They're our allies now, aren't they? Then they're not going to do anything to her. And… it's not like she's alone in there. She's got Helo with her."

Bill rubbed her temples with one of his hands and looked at Kara disapprovingly from over his glasses. "Kara, she's pregnant, for frak's sake! We cannot be sure they won't try something. Anything." He took his eyes off from the young woman. He wasn't going to get anywhere thinking like that, he would only end up worrying even more about Laura. "I'm her husband, damn it… She should've told me about it. I shouldn't have been informed of it by you…"

The young woman shrugged her shoulders and looked at Bill clueless of what to say. The silence between the two of them was tense, and was only broken when he looked at her again. Then, she felt the urge to leave. She wasn't entitled to watch that scene. "She just didn't want to worry you" she mouthed. "I guess."

He smiled sadly and broke the visual contact. "I guess" he repeated. It wasn't long until he heard the hatch of his quarters close. Kara was gone. Then, he let all his weight fall on the couch, and took the photo that was sitting on the coffee table; one of the two of them, recently taken. He caressed Laura's image with one of his thumbs and sighed deeply, tired. "You… stubborn woman" he whispered looking at the Laura in the photo, with her radiant smile and her small hands covering his palms, over her belly. "You're too stubborn for your own good."

* * *

It was weird. There was no other way to describe it. There was a woman inside what looked like a big bath, with a strange reddish light coming from the liquid she was in. The hybrid, she guessed. She had heard some things about it, but no one ever told her what it looked like. That thing, a _woman_, lying there was the hybrid then, and it knew lots of things about her.

The more she looked at the scene in front of her eyes, the more fascinating it seemed. It absolutely looked like something that could be taken right out from a bad science fiction book or a lousy space soap opera. It definitely wasn't what she had expected. Yet, she wasn't even sure what she had been expecting.

Apparently, that thing, the hybrid, needed to be connected to some sort of power in order to be activated. Considering that, it was more like a machine than any of the other cylons, even if it had a human appearance.

Laura stood there, looking at that creature, staring at it in amazement. They had to connect it, just that easily, and it would come to life. She didn't want to wait more than necessary; her idea was to get answers from that thing as soon as possible and get back home, with Bill. The news of her trip would've already reached him at that moment, and he was probably worrying about her. At least the news of it would've come from friendly lips; it was something.

She looked at the people around her; several cylons and the people who had come there with her, including Baltar, with that shitty smile on his lips. She walked towards the hybrid with decision. "Plug it in. I need to talk to it."

Baltar stepped by her side. "Let God's will be done" he said.

"Shut up" Laura quickly replied, taking a couple more of steps towards the hybrid. She didn't really care about what Baltar thought of it all. She had gone there with a purpose and she wouldn't leave until she fulfilled it. "It's time to get some answers."

On Eight looked at her doubtful, but she finally did as Laura had told her to. She took the wires that were connected to the hybrid and connected them to the main source of power.

The light coming from the liquid increased immediately, turning almost blinding for an instant as the hybrid opened its eyes widely. Laura felt that it was looking at her even before she was able to check it. She felt as if it was looking into her soul, even if its eyes looked lost. She suddenly noticed a smirk form into that thing's lips. There was no more doubt; it was looking at her.

"The dying leader is here" it said with a cold, mechanical voice. Laura felt a cold shiver run down her spine. She was frozen, unable to move or say a word. The hybrid had recognized her. It was really true then; everything that Kara had said. All of a sudden, the hybrid tensed and opened its eyes even wider. "Jump!" it shouted.

And after that, Laura was no longer with those people of in the baseship.

* * *

It was difficult to keep his mind focused in a moment like that. He wasn't able to do his work as he worried about Laura; he was more than worried, he was truly concerned about her wellbeing. He had tried to stay calm, to focus on doing his work the right way, but there was no way he could do that. The situation was more complex than just that, it was true, but he couldn't even bring himself to worry about the Vipers that had also jumped away or about the pilots that were there. Laura; it was his only concern at the moment, the only thing on his mind.

He had been concerned about her since Kara had informed her she was in the cylon baseship. When they learned it had jumped, he had immediately known she had also been there. Now he had a real reason to be concerned. The baseship had jumped, carrying her and more than half of his pilots, and they had no idea where it could be. They could only wait.

The baseship had jumped all of a sudden, unexpectedly, at the exact moment that Natalie, the cylon leader, had been shot. There had to be some kind of relation between those two things. Coincidences didn't exist, everything was connected; that was a thing Laura had taught him.

Athena. Sharon Agathon. It had been her who had shot the Six, just like Boomer had once shot him.

The cylons had jumped the moment their leader had been shot, and that made his skin shiver. One colonial soldier had shot their leader and they had Laura; his precious Laura. How was he supposed to keep calm? She was gone, and he could do nothing to get her back apart from waiting.

Frakking Zarek proved he had no heart as he tried to contact him as soon as it was officially confirmed Laura had been at the baseship at the time of the jump. He already wanted to take her place. Bill obviously refused to even talk with him. Laura was alive, there was no reason to be looking for anyone to replace her. She was fine; he knew it, he felt it on his bones. She was strong and smart, and there was something on her that made her really special. There was no way anything bad happened to her.

But what had happened left him with a problem he couldn't ignore, even if it was not what was first on his mind. Most of his pilots were on the baseship, prepared for the mission of destroying the Resurrection Hub. There was just so much to do, and he really didn't feel like doing any of it. He just wanted his Laura back, safe and sound between his arms.

* * *

_Laura found herself in a different place all of a sudden. She looked around, a little bit afraid. It all was somehow familiar, but she couldn't quite recognize the place. It was big, empty and cold. _

_She closed her eyes, trying to hear something; anything. But there was only that constant humming, one that came from the walls around her, a mechanical one. She wasn't able to hear any footsteps, any voice or even anyone else's breathing. There was only the sound of her breathing and that low, constant humming. _

_When she opened her eyes, she saw a figure standing in front of her. She immediately battered her eyelashes, unsure. That person didn't move, but started smiling instead. Laura looked closer and convinced herself it was true. It had to be true. She had experienced things way stranger than that. _

_She quickly reacted, throwing her arms around the young man's back and hugging him tightly. The man hugged her back with no hesitation. "I'm sorry I did not show up the other day" he said with his calm voice. "I didn't want to deprive you of any time with your family."_

_Laura shook her head and tightened her embrace to the man's fit torso. Then, she broke the hug and looked at him. His wide smile quickly brought her all the memories she had been repressing for quite a long time; in an instant, she remembered the reason why she had considered the young man a part of her family, as if he was a surrogate son of hers. "Billy…" she said with a throaty voice, unable to manage anything more elaborate before breaking down with sobs. _

* * *

The vision in front of him wasn't a pleasant one. He felt like he had to be there, though. That cylon had something to do with the jump, and he needed to understand. That cylon might have been their enemy one day, but now she was their ally. While he watching her, he realised she suffered just as much as any human would. They were not really that different. Cottle was trying to save her life, to stop the blood that was draining out from her body.

That was his place; he couldn't stay in his quarters thinking about Laura. He needed to have something on his hands and feel like he was actually doing something to get her back.

He looked away from the woman for an instant and realised Dee was still on the phone. The young woman covered the receiver and looked at him. "Sir, vice president Zarek is still waiting to talk to you. What should I tell him?" she asked trying to disguise the urgency on her tone. Bill looked into her eyes and saw they were swollen and glistening with unshed tears; she was fonder of Laura than he had initially thought. "Sir!" Dee said rising her voice, trying to regain his attention. But Bill only shook his head; he wasn't going to honour that man by talking with him. He wanted to take Laura's position.

Saul came to him talking about the problematic way the fleet had been left by the viper's departure with the cylon baseship; nothing that he hadn't known already. That was not what had him worried, it was the cylon dying in front of her; the reason the baseship had jumped away. It had been one of her kind who had shot her. He needed to understand. "Where is she?" he asked Saul.

He looked at her, surprised Bill had said something, but he quickly understood. "Clamp. Marines are holding her" he informed.

Bill led out a sigh and looked at his friend. "My quarters" he simply said, and he immediately rushed out of sickbay, unable to take the sight in front of him any longer.

* * *

She looked around her and noticed nothing had changed. She was at the cylon baseship, with the hybrid there, talking frantically. She released a breath she hadn't realised she had been holding. No real time had passed while she had that vision. Because it had been a vision; she had been there, she had touched Billy, she had smelled him. But she quickly realised it wasn't how things were supposed to happen. They weren't supposed to jump, but they had. She looked around her, trying to find an answer to her questions in anyone's face, but everyone looked as much confused as she did.

Only a Sharon, and Eight, seemed to know something or, at least, she didn't looked as confused as the rest of them. Laura looked at her and took a couple of steps towards her. "Why did it jump?" Laura asked her. "Where are we?"

The Eight barely looked at her; she was busy with the hybrid. "I'm more concerned about why we're here" she said after a while, not even looking at Laura.

She looked at the hybrid again. It just kept talking, but its words were erratic and did not make real sense. They were just that; words. She also heard Baltar talking, but she didn't really listen to him or to the answer Helo gave him. No, she was still more concerned about what she had expected after the jump. She had been there with Billy, and it had taken several minutes, but that time seemed to have never passed when she got back.

Out of the blue, she saw the hybrid tense as it shouted. "Jump!" And with that, Laura suddenly wasn't there again.

* * *

The situation he had on his quarters wasn't any easier. Maybe he could ignore Zarek, but he couldn't ignore his son. Lee was telling him all of what was a conflict with the government at that moment, with the President absent.

He kept telling him about Zarek and the Quorum, but he wasn't really worried about any of it. "Look, the fleet needs reassurance; then you reassure them" he said after a while, tired of that conversation and wanting to talk with Athena. "That's your job now. You can tell Zarek he can go to hell. Laura appointed you as her successor; not him. You've been doing most of her job for a while. Don't let the man take your place."

They both stayed in silence for a couple of seconds, until Lee spoke again. "She'll be fine, dad. She's strong and smart" he said convinced, not letting space for doubt, just right before hanging up the phone.

Bill hanged his end of the phone and walked towards Athena, sitting on his couch. _Their_ couch; his and Laura's. He was angry with the woman in front of her, there was no way he could disguise it. But he was not only angry, he was also disappointed. "Why?" he asked, his nostrils flaring with anger. "Do you hate your people so much you look for any excuse to kill one, or did you deliberately try to sabotage this truce?"

Athena seemed to grow smaller, sitting on the couch. "No, Sir, of course not" she said with a small voice, unable to look into the man's eyes.

That didn't calm him down in any way. "Then you tell me why. You make me understand why you did this."

The woman finally looked him, and with her eyes on his, she looked even smaller. "They were going to take her" she vaguely said. "The six; she was going to take my child."

Bill stared into her eyes and shook his head. "There were too many witnesses. They all said the same thing. Your daughter was lost" he stated, hardening his look. "The cylon merely knelt down and was talking to her."

Athena broke the eye contact and looked at the floor, fidgeting with her shackles. "Maybe that's what it looked like to the others, Sir, but… I know…." she said, her voice growing thinner. "I had a vision" she stated, rising her voice a little bit. "A vision where the Six and Baltar were taking Hera away from me." She stopped for a second and raised her eyes to Bill again. He knew about that vision, Laura had told him about that part. Athena probably didn't know he had already heard about it, but it didn't change anything. "It was more than a vision, Sir" she said, misinterpreting the look in his face. "When I saw them together, I knew that they would take her. That they would take away my child!"

He took a couple of steps away from her. "You murdered an unnamed woman, and by doing so you put the lives of every single person in this fleet at risk." Bill looked at her hardening his eyes; it was time to make her realize what she had done. "And it could quite possibly cost the lives of the President and your husband. You disobeyed the orders of a superior officer, but more importantly, you betrayed a promise to me. I trusted you."

By the look on her eyes, Bill saw she had finally realized the consequences of her action. Athena became even smaller. She raised her eyes to his and opened her mouth. "Sir, I will accept any form of punishment you think I deserve" she said wholeheartedly. "I just ask that you please don't take away Hera."

Bill shook his head. "I'm afraid the brig is no place for a little girl" he said looking into Sharon's eyes. Then, he turned his back on her. "Guards!" he shouted, and the marines quickly entered through the hatch. "Get her out of my sight."

* * *

_She was there again. The empty corridors, the constant mechanical humming, the cold lights. She felt a hand resting on her shoulders and turned around, confused. She was there again, and so was Billy. He smiled sweetly to her and took her hand "Will you walk with me?" he asked with his warm voice. _

_Laura nodded and smiled. Suddenly, something clicked on her brain. "Galactica" she voiced out, realising those empty corridors were those of the ship she had started calling her home. She looked around them again, her eyes wide in amazement. "It… What's going on?" she asked, frowning. "It's empty."_

_Billy smiled and gestured her to start walking. "It is… It feels bigger this way, doesn't it?"_

_She followed his pace as she was looking around her, trying to find some kind of clue that would explain it. But there wasn't anything. The corridors were empty, and it wasn't only because they were the only people there, but because the walls were bare and there wasn't anything there; there were no things there apart from the walls of the corridors. Not a box, not a photo, not a paper on the floor. Nothing. She stopped walking. Billy stopped with her and looked at her with a questioning look. She brought one hand to rest on her belly and caressed it, forgetting about her worries for an instant, calming down. "It's so quiet" she almost whispered, not rising her eyes from where her palm rested. "It's strange."_

_He looked at her and placed a hand on her forearm, earning Laura's attention. When she raised her eyes to him, she saw comprehension on his eyes. He gestured with his free hand, putting them in motion again. They walked slowly for a while, until Billy suddenly stopped and held Laura's eyes firmly. "A lot of things are strange, Laura" he said with a small voice. She heard pain in his voice, and pity. _

_Laura looked at him doubtful, with a hint of fear. He gestured with his head, and Laura looked in that direction. What she saw made her heart break into a million pieces. She broke her link with Billy and covered her wide-opened mouth with both her hands. _

_There she was, lying on a bed in sickbay. Gods, she looked so thin and pale! She looked away, unable to look at her in such state, but what she saw sent a pang of pain to her heart. She walked there and pressed one palm to the warm glass of the incubator and the other to her belly. A sad smile set on her lips as she saw the tiny baby moving slightly. Her daughter, she quickly understood. _

_She was too small, too pale, too thin, and she looked so tiny and lost inside that glass cage, connected to all those wires. She splayed her hand over the glass and let her tears fall down her cheeks. She could hear the beeping of the machines. Both of them were attached to them. Both of them looked extremely fragile; too fragile…_

_Laura felt a hand rest on her shoulder, but she ignored it and kept watching how her daughter was fighting for her life. That hand didn't give up; its owner kept resting it there. After a while, she collected the strength to open her mouth. "What?" she croaked in a whisper._

_The hand tightened its grip on Laura's shoulder. "Laura," a warm, known voice called her softly, "don't let this happen."_

_ She turned slowly turned around. Nothing that happened in her visions surprised her anymore. "Elosha…" she whispered as two short but firm arms encircled her waist. "Oh, my gods…" she managed to say as she hugged back her old friend. _

_Elosha tightened their hug. "That's one of the things that could happen… You can still change it" she said in a whisper. _

_Laura suddenly felt a sharp pain on her lower abdomen, one that brought her down to her knees and made her surroundings and Elosha vanish. _


	38. XXXVIII

_I hope you all had a good Christmas and that all of you have a great New Year! _

_I'm sorry for the lack of Bill in this chapter... I promise he's going to be in the next one.  
_

* * *

**XXXVIII.**

Even though she was back in the cylon baseship and the pain seemed to have never existed, she felt tears prickling in her eyes, threatening to escape. Laura took a sharp intake of breath as she shut her eyes tightly, trying to keep them at bay. She hadn't been prepared to see that. Who would be prepared to see themselves that way? Or to see their child that way?

Her hands quickly travelled to her belly and caressed it gently, making sure her daughter was all right. It seemed as if she hadn't noticed anything; she was still moving calmly, with the occasional kick.

She suddenly felt a hand on her arm, what made her eyes open immediately. There was Helo, looking at her with worry on his eyes. "Madam President?" he asked with a calm voice. "Are you okay?"

Laura closed her eyes for an instant and looked at him as she nodded. "I'm fine" she almost whispered. "It was just… the jump" she finished, giving him a little smile. That was all; it had been one of her visions. More disturbing than they usually tended to be, but just a vision nonetheless.

"That's unusual" the Eight said when she was sure she had Laura's attention. "To jump again so quickly."

Laura looked from the Eight to the Hybrid and then to the Eight again. "What do you think it means?" The Eight didn't answer her; instead, she dug her hand deeper on the liquid she already had it and looked into the empty space with a look of concentration on her face.

"Look, it knows me" Baltar said ending his silence. He walked towards the Hybrid, making a show of himself. "It trusts me… I think." He took his eyes out from the Hybrid and looked at them, just in time to catch Laura's eye roll. "I think it even likes me, 'cause I –" He suddenly stopped talking, realizing no one was really listening to him.

She turned towards the Eight again and looked at her with curiosity. "You're getting information from this liquid?"

The Eight looked at her for an instant and nodded slightly. After that, her eyes got lost into empty space again. "The hybrid is disorganized. It's panicking" she revealed, looking at Laura. "I don't know why."

Baltar seemed to understand that was his opportunity to do something, and he quickly walked towards the Hybrid. "Tell me. Why are you jumping the ship?" he asked rising his voice.

Much to everyone's surprise, the Hybrid tensed and opened its eyes wider. "The six" it said alarmed. "The six who went among the makers is no longer. End of line. Back in the stream that feeds the ocean that feeds the stream."

The Eight quickly understood what the Hybrid was referring to. "The six" she informed them. "She means Natalie, the six who was our leader. She's either been hurt or killed back on Galactica. That's why the hybrid's panicking."

Laura was suddenly aware of what that could mean. Their leader had been killed and they had her; but, apparently, they had no intention to strike back the same way. Maybe the cylons sometimes could be more compassionate than the humans, because if that had happened the other way round, she was sure neither her nor any other Colonial would have let it go as if nothing had happened. She was lucky.

She looked at the Eight. Apparently she was the one in charge at me moment. "So she's upset. Okay, fine." She was able to understand that perfectly. "Can you calm her down?" She knew what she was going to ask her was impossible, because if it could be done they would have already tried it, but she asked it anyway. "Can you tell her to jump back?"

The Eight shook her head. "It doesn't work like that. She makes her own decisions" she explained. "And we can't unplug her because now she's wired herself into life support."

Laura sighed. What could they do then? Wait until the Hybrid calmed itself and decided to jump back with the fleet? That could take a long time…

"All right," Baltar quickly intervened, "then why don't we give this a go?" he said as he walked towards the Hybrid and kneeled down before it. With a serious expression on his face, he shushed soundly, bringing a finger to his lips. For an instant, Laura thought she wouldn't be able to keep herself from laughing; fortunately, she was able to do so. The situation itself maybe wasn't funny, but with Baltar being the protagonist of it, it became all sorts of hilarious. "Hey" Baltar continued. "Hey, stop jumping the ship, all right?"

That time, Laura really had to silence the laugh that was about to leave her mouth. How could he think something so easy and stupid could work? How could he… "Calm your mind" the Hybrid suddenly said, taking Laura out of her thoughts. Damn it, Baltar's strategy had worked. "Cease countdown, cease countdown. Circulation, ventilation, control." it continued, its words losing any logical sense they could've had. "Filters. Filters. The sublime elevation."

Baltar looked towards her, with a grin of satisfaction on his lips, though Laura was able to see his surprise there. He hadn't expected it would work, just like the rest of them. "Did you see that?" he asked, widening his grin. "I just opened myself up to it, on a spiritual level..."

Before Baltar could finish his sentence, the Hybrid tensed and shouted. "Jump!"

* * *

_She was there, again. She could tell it just by the sounds around her; the constant beeping of the machines, the drops falling rhythmically into an IV. Someone was breathing heavily, with difficulty. Someone else's foot was tapping the floor nervously. And, ahead of everything else, there was the constant humming of Galactica's machines. She didn't need to open her eyes to know where she was. _

_Gathering the strength to turn around and face the scene she already knew was going on wasn't something she could do. She wasn't ready. She would never be ready for it. _

_Her eyes were tightly shut; helping her trying to ignore what was going on around her. She really wished she would go back to reality as soon as possible, but that didn't happen. She was still there. _

_"Laura, look at it" a woman's voice told her in an authoritative tone. "You can't ignore it."_

_She shook her head and closer her eyes tighter. "No. I already know what's going on. I don't want to see it." She had managed to keep her voice half steady, what was more than she had expected she'd be able to do. _

_Elosha insisted again. "Laura, you can't ignore it. You have to see it to be able to change things."_

_Laura opened her eyes and stared into her old friend's eyes. "I've already seen it. I don't need to see more of it. I don't need to…" She trailed off, confused what she had just heard. She listened closer, closing her eyes again. There was no mistake there; it was a baby's cry. A thin and desperate one. At that realization, her upper lip started quivering. _

_"Are you going to ignore your child's cry?" Billy asked her, placing a hand on her shoulder. Laura opened her eyes slowly and looked over her friends shoulder to see her daughter trapped inside that glass cage. "She just wants her mother" the young man whispered._

_She moved her eyes from her daughter to the bed where a pale Laura lay. She could barely breathe on her own, Laura realized; she was too tired for that. She couldn't rise from the bed and be by her daughter's side. The other Laura looked as if the only good thing for her would be to get a long, repairing sleep to gather some strength. But she didn't do that; she stared at her daughter's incubator as if that was the only other thing apart from her in the universe. One of her hands was being held tightly by Bill, but she didn't even notice that. Then, there was Bill. He didn't seem to be able to take his eyes off from the Laura in the bed, occasionally glancing towards their daughter. That made Laura's heart break in million pieces._

_But the small cry didn't stop; it was becoming more desperate every second. Laura wasn't able to take it anymore. She needed to do something about it. Without even thinking it, her feet brought her to the incubator. She laid her palm against the glass and stared at the small form of her daughter. Too small, too fragile, too desperate. Her cry wasn't stopping or calming. _

_"I'm here…" she whispered, but the cry only became louder. She fought her tears back and managed to introduce her hand into the incubator despite her blurred vision. She carefully approached her hand to her daughter and touched one of her arms lightly. "I'm here, sweetie. Mum's here" she whispered in a soothing voice, trying to calm her down. "Everything's going to be alright, sweetie" she whispered as she pressed her free hand to her belly. "Mum's going to make it be alright." _

_The soft cries stopped as the little girl moved her hand to catch Laura's little finger and opened her eyes slightly, as if she was really looking at her mother. That made Laura's heart melt. She smiled sadly and raised her eyes to look at Bill and her. She saw some relief in their faces. _

_For the first time, Laura realized they weren't alone in the room. Lee and Kara were also there, at the other side of the bed, even if the Laura in the bed didn't seem to be aware of them; not even Bill seemed to be. But the two young people were really aware of what was going on in the room, except for Elosha, Billy and Laura's presence. They also grieved with Bill and Laura. _

_After a while, Laura looked back at her daughter and realized she had fallen asleep. That way, she looked even more vulnerable. Carefully, she removed her hand from the glass cage and walked towards the bed, morbidly fascinated by seeing herself in such a state. _

_She noticed Elosha by the other Laura's side, right next to Bill. The older woman looked at her as she whispered some words to the other Laura, loud enough for her to hear. "Don't you just hate these people?" the older woman asked, looking at all the people around the bed. Cottle had also joined them. _

_Laura watched herself battering her eyelashes tiredly. She heard herself breathing with difficultly and finally managing to get a word out of her throat. "No." She saw the horror in her eyes; she saw the dry trails of tears going down her own cheeks, paler than ever. _

_Apparently, Elosha didn't take pity on her. "Oh, but you don't love them either" the older woman stated, much to both Laura's horror. "The people in this room are the closest thing you've got to family, and you… you've been their president." She stopped and gestured around the room. "Watch them try to comfort each other." She paused again and walked towards the standing Laura, her eyes never leaving the Laura lying in the bed. "At least you haven't taken that away from them. _Yet_" she stated with bitterness. "You didn't rob them of their empathy. _Yet_." She stopped talking and let her words sink. Then, she looked at the Laura beside her. "You just don't make room for people anymore. You don't love people. Is that clear enough? Practical enough for you, Madam President?"_

_Laura looked at Elosha in horror, with a lump on her throat. "That's not true" she said with a broken voice. "I love my daughter. I love Bill, my husband. I love Lee. I…"_

_Elosha looked at her sadly and shook her head. "Yes, you do, but…" she stopped and shot a look towards the Laura in the bed. "But she doesn't."_

* * *

She was back in the baseship, again. Apparently, she was going to have visions with each jump. They only managed to make her feel more tired each time that she got back, and more broken-hearted. She _really_ didn't enjoy what she was seeing in the visions, and Elosha was managing to confuse her more with each jump.

Laura looked around her and noticed everyone was looking at the Eight. She looked focused and, at the same time, a little bit shaken. She moved her hand out from the liquid and looked at all of them. "I think we're going towards the Resurrection Hub" she revealed. "I think the mission is still on."

Laura battered her eyelashes, a little bit surprised by the information, but, thinking about it, it really made sense. She shook her head and looked at Helo. "Okay… So go carry on with it" she told him. She took a couple of steps towards the man. "Could I have a word with you, Captain Agathon?"

The man looked at her and nodded. "Of course, Madame President" he said as he walked closer to Laura, letting her take his arm. "What is it, Sir?"

She smiled slightly and directed him away from the rest of people in the room. "I was wondering if… Could I ask you a favour?" she asked grimacing a little bit. He quickly nodded. "It has been a long day so far and it's going to be even longer… I was wondering if I could use your raptor to get some rest."

"Of course" Helo quickly said, smiling. "You really didn't need to ask."

* * *

She wasn't sure if she had truly slept at all, but her mind was clearer. Ever since she had got into the raptor and closed her eyes, her conscious and unconscious thoughts had started mixing, somehow managing to awake her mind. When Helo called her, taking her out of her state of trance, her eyelids still felt heavy, but her body felt like she had really gotten a good night's sleep. "Madam President?" he called again, as she opened her eyes slowly and brought the book in her hands closer to her body. _Searider Falcon_, Bill's favourite book. "Sir? Hope I didn't wake you."

Laura opened her eyes wider and smiled. "Uh, come in" she said as she left the book in the raptor. Then, she looked at the young man again. "Thank you for the use of your...your raptor. I needed some familiar surroundings" she said smiling. "Don't worry; I'll give it back to Lt. Pike the second you need it." A smirk appeared on her lips. Oh, yes. The rest had been good, especially because it had been free of any disturbing vision.

He looked at her seriously and cleared his throat. "About that" he started, with a serious tone Laura wasn't used to her in the man. "This mission, it's very risky."

She sobered up and looked at him seriously. "If there's even a chance that we can go in and blow up that Hub and end cylon resurrection for all cylons forever, we must take it" she stated, keeping her voice steady. "I cannot back away from that." And, she thought, Bill wouldn't back away from that either. They all had been really clear about the importance of the mission. Maybe it wouldn't end up giving them the way to Earth as the cylons had promised them, but at least they would have enemies that were mortal, that was more than they had at the beginning of the mission.

The man nodded his head in understanding. "Yes, Sir."

When he was about to stand up and leave the raptor, Laura put a hand on his arm to stop him. Then, she stared into his eyes. "_If_ and _when_ D'Anna comes back from the dead, bring her to me" she said without even blinking.

Helo looked at her confused. "I think the cylons think that she'll be interrogated by both groups together."

She nodded. "I'm sure they do." Then, she stopped for a couple of seconds, looking at the man. "Bring her to me" she insisted. "She knows the identities of the five cylons in our fleet. It is a matter now of human security, and I will not let the cylons have audience to that discussion. I want to talk to her alone."

"Yes, sir" he quickly said, but he looked at her like she had disappointed him. Up to a point, Laura could understand him, but it was no moment to be diplomatic. Her people and a place they could call home were in play, and the risks of trusting the cylons on that one were too big.

Laura shook her head. She was the President. She couldn't be taking those kinds of risks. She couldn't let anything jeopardize their objective. "Good." On a personal level, being truthful with herself, she was almost sure she –as a person, not as President- would regret her decision someday, but it was the best thing she could do given the circumstances.


	39. XXXIX

_I'm very sorry for the delay... I had my finals last week, so you can imagine I didn't have much time to write, and after them I felt like I needed to disconnect for a couple of days. Anyway, I promise the next chapter won't take me this long..._

_I hope you all are having a great 2013!_

* * *

**XXXIX.**

Hours were passing slowly. There was still no sign they were anywhere near the Resurrection Hub.

The cylon baseship was strangely quiet and calm compared to any Colonial Ship. Truthfully, it was different from anything she had ever seen. It was clean, shiny, organized and somehow sophisticated, just like some of the humanoid cylons who owned. Even though she knew the ship should've been full of those cylons, none of them was ever in sight; they seemed to disappear at every turn.

When she left the raptor, having had enough rest for the moment and needing to keep her mind awake, she decided to go back to the hybrid, to try to get the answers she had gone there for in the first place. She was lucky her security detail never left her side and had followed her; otherwise she wouldn't have been able to find her way back to the room. Once they got there, she stopped and looked at the marines. "I would like to be left alone with the hybrid. Only… could you try to find Gaius Baltar and take him here?"

The marines immediately nodded and left her alone in the room, with the hybrid in its middle. The hybrid was talking; it was as if it never stopped. Laura walked closer to it, with the security that knowing that part of her security detail was outside the room brought her, looking at it doubtfully but with infinite curiosity. She stopped in front of the hybrid's feet and let all her weight fall carefully on the floor. She folded folded her legs on one side, trying to find a comfortable position. Then, she closed her eyes for an instant, trying to find a meaning to what the hybrid said. That constant flow of words was somehow soothing. With a smile on her lips, she caressed her belly, right where she felt her daughter move. Apparently, she also found all that talk relaxing.

When Laura opened her eyes and found the hybrid looking back at her with a smirk on its lips. "We welcome the dying leader and her child" it said not losing its smirk. At those words, Laura felt a cold shiver run down her spine. "Our distant sisters, through the spark of our blood in their veins."

Laura stared at the hybrid clueless about what its words meant. She looked at it, strangely in silence for the first time since she had first seen it, when she suddenly realized what it had meant. Hera's blood. The cure that had saved her life once, making her cancer disappear. It had become a part of her, and it was also a part of her daughter now. The blood on their veins was part cylon.

"We had not expected it, but God's paths can be changed" the hybrid talked again, taking Laura by surprise. That was something new. "God can change the prophecies once written. God can accommodate the destinies of those held in high esteem." The wicked smirk appeared again in the hybrid's lips. "Through becoming our sister the dying leader will no longer die. She will live. God changes her path." The hybrid closed its eyes and stopped talking; when it opened them again, they were suddenly lost into empty space and its smirk disappeared. "Thus shall it come to pass" it started, breaking the silence. "The dying leader shall know the truth of the Opera House. The one who leads the Caravan of Heavens to a new home." The hybrid was repeating the prophecy Kara had told her, word by word. "The one who crossed the River and talks with the dead. The one whose womb carries humanity's hope."

By the time it finished, Laura noticed her daughter's movements had increased. She brought her free hand to her belly too and caressed it slowly, closing her eyes again. The hybrid was talking once more, it really had not stopped, but its words held no meaning anymore.

"Just go and ask it already" a man's voice said behind her, making her jump.

She immediately brought a hand over her heart and breathed deeply, trying to calm herself. She had thought she was alone in there; with her security detail outside, but alone. She turned her head around and saw Baltar walking towards her, with a triumphant smile. He had heard it; that was why he was smiling. He had heard the words the hybrid had for her and caught her off-guard. "How long have you been here?" she asked him, managing to keep her voice calm and steady. "How much have you heard?" She didn't blink and, if looks could kill, Baltar would've had dropped dead right there on his spot.

He shook his head. "Enough. I've been here enough to listen to some interesting things. The Opera House, Earth, your child… Apparently the '_dying leader_' thing was right, then?"

She shot him a death glare, again. "It will never leave this room, do you understand me?" she snarled. "Because if I ever learn you've said a single word about it to anyone, I'll make sure you aren't able to do the same ever again. Even if I have to do it with my own hands. You can be sure about it."

The man nodded and smirked. "There's no need to get violent, Laura. My lips are sealed. But… that doesn't mean that it hasn't left me curious, so… Why don't you just question the hybrid?"

Laura sighed deeply. Damn it, the man was frakking impossible! She looked at him for an instant, unsure if she really wanted the man there, listening to anything the hybrid told her. She wasn't even sure of how much of it he had heard, but he had already heard too much. Would it really mind if he heard a little bit more? Before, he had seemed to be able to reach to the hybrid somehow; to get some rational words out of it. Maybe he could help her do it again. That was why he was there. If he ever dared to share anything about it to anyone, she would make sure his tongue was tied forever more.

She turned her head around and looked at the hybrid. "You've just mentioned the Opera House, and I…" she trailed off and looked at Baltar, feeling stupid. "That just seems pointless…"

Baltar sighed soundly and walked towards the hybrid, bending towards it. "Look, there was an Opera House" he started. "An Opera House. Are you listening to me?" he asked rising his voice, apparently frustrated because the hybrid's words were still erratic and held no logical meaning. "Apparently I was _in_ the Opera House."

Laura shook her head and looked at the hybrid. "I've been having a vision. It has changes sometimes, but I am chasing after a little girl. I come to a door. I see Doctor Baltar and the Six take the child" she took her eyes off from the hybrid and looked at Baltar. That's all they need to know. The changes in the visions, the parts apparently no one but her experiences, they don't need to know. "And… she's not listening; this isn't going to work…"

"Protect the child" they suddenly hear coming from the hybrid's lips.

She immediately turns her head towards it, unconsciously bringing a protective hand over her belly. "_Protect the child_" she repeated, opening her eyes widely. "She said, '_protect the child_'. That's what Caprica said."

Baltar moved closer to her. "You told me _I_ was the one holding the child, so obviously I was the one protecting the child, wasn't I? In the Opera House, I was –"

Laura quickly cut him off. "No, no, no." Damn it, she wanted to hear what the hybrid was saying; she wanted to know more about it. "It wasn't at all clear what you were doing. We don't even know if it is talking about Hera."

"It is _obviously_ about Hera" he quickly replied, confident. "There's no other child it can be referring to. There's only Hera; she's the only…" he trailed off, suddenly realizing it was not true. The hybrid was ambiguous; it could also be referring to her child. "Frak; do you really think…"

Laura shot him a death glare. "Everything's possible here. There's no way we can now without more information, so shut up and let me listen." The man didn't say a word, but the hybrid was talking erratically again. Laura took a sharp breath and stared at the hybrid. "Which child? Which child do we have to protect?"

Baltar looked at her and led out a chuckle, apparently amused by the failure of her intent. "I mean, obviously you've done this a thousand times before."

"Well, I'm just doing the same thing you're doing" she said looking at him.

"No, you're not actually" he quickly replied shaking his head. "No, you're not. Because if you watch what I'm doing, what I'm doing is I'm actually focusing on her, all right?" the man looked from her to the hybrid. "Now tell us what happened in the Opera House _now_, all right?" he shouted as he walked closer to it.

Laura led out a deep sigh. "Oh, the only thing you're doing is _yelling_" she said, rising her voice a little bit. Baltar immediately closed his mouth, what brought a small smile to Laura's lips.

"Such a format will close the doors" they both suddenly heard the hybrid saying.

"Close the doors" Laura quickly repeated, trying to grasp the meaning of it. "No, no, open the door" she said as soon as she realised those words held meaning; the hybrid could be trying to tell them something. "Open the door. I want to open the door!" she said frantically. The hybrid was not replying. She looked at Baltar with urgency as he walked away from them. "Do it again, do it again!"

Baltar didn't stop walking, without turning towards her. "I'm going for a walk." He turned around and looked at her with a smile on his lips, continuing his walk towards the door. "Love to see you do any better."

She ignored Baltar and his mockeries and looked at the hybrid. "All right, I'll do it." She sighed deeply, trying to figure out how to do it. She really had no idea; her best shot would be to do it like Baltar had done it. "Open the door!" she yelled towards the hybrid.

It tensed up and almost sat straight. "Three!" it shouted. "The three is online. The three is online."

Laura repeated the hybrid's words, her brain working quickly to find a meaning to them. It surely was important. Suddenly she realized what it meant. "The three is D'Anna. D'Anna is online" she voiced out, surprised. The Three was online; it meant… "Oh, D'Anna in a body. D'Anna's back in a body."

Before any of them could realize it, the hybrid tensed up again. "Jump!" it screamed, and suddenly Laura wasn't in the floor on her knees anymore.

* * *

Bill looked at the Dradis, again. His eyes didn't leave that screen for several seconds, hopping to see the cylon baseship carrying Laura appear suddenly. But, once more, nothing happened. The Dradis only showed the ships of the Fleet, again. He sighed deeply and closed his eyes for an instant, letting them rest. Of course it wouldn't be that easy…

When he opened his eyes again, he shot a quick glance to the Dradis. It still wasn't there, of course. He would end up going crazy if he continued like that, staring at that screen constantly in hopes of some change.

He looked at Tigh and gestured him to go with him. Once he was by his side, Bill opened his mouth for the first time since he had entered the CIC, many hours before. "We've got the last coordinates the cylons gave us for the Hub… Send someone there. They might have carried on with the mission; maybe they're there.

Tigh looked into his eyes for an instant and nodded.

* * *

_Once again, she was there. There was no doubt of it. She could hear the monitors beeping; their constant and depressing sound. She was in sickbay again. She turned around, trying to find Billy or Elosha, to ask them to get her out of there, but they weren't there. However, she was not completely alone. Another Laura was on the bed in front of her, with dark circles under her eyes, staring at the incubator in front of her, but the baby wasn't crying anymore. She walked towards the glass cage and saw her tiny daughter was breathing with some difficulty, wired to several machines. _

_But that wasn't all. Bill was by the other Laura's side. He tried to reach for her hand, but she immediately drew both her hands back, without even looking at him. Laura walked closer to them, and immediately recognized the hurt and exhaustion on their faces; especially on her own. They were like open books, it was as if their broken hearts were there on display, for everyone to see. She also saw desperation in there, and building anger, especially in Bill. _

_Suddenly, his expression grew colder. He cleared his throat and looked at that Laura with unshed tears in his eyes, his nostrils flaring in anger. "This didn't have to be like this, Laura" he said through gritted teeth, trying to control his voice. She shut her eyes tightly for a moment and inhaled deeply. "I wanted to be a part of this. You never allowed me to."_

_Her expression didn't change, she only blinked. "Would it have made a difference?" she asked with a raspy voice. _

_He bit the inside of his cheeks, trying to control himself again. "Maybe; we'll never know. You could've followed Cottle's advice or you could've taken care of yourself at least. Then, maybe…"_

_The other Laura's eyes hardened. "Then? Then what?" she asked under her breath._

_"Nothing" he quickly replied. _

_For the first time since Laura had appeared there, the other Laura looked at Bill, right into his eyes. "Do you think I like to see her like this?" she asked as a lone tear rolled down her cheek. "She's my daughter too."_

_Bill's eyes softened. Laura looked into his eyes and saw the hurt growing, and regret. But the other Laura had already taken her eyes away from him. "I'm sorry, Laura. I didn't mean this, I…" He sighed and reached out for her hands. That time, she didn't try to fight it. "This is being hard on both of us."_

_Before she could answer him, a couple entered the room. Laura moved to let them pass, but they didn't see her. Lee and Kara. They stood at the other side of Laura's bed, awkwardly silent, looking at the heart-breaking scene splayed in front of them. Soon enough, Cottle joined them. He approached Bill and Laura and whispered something to them. She wasn't able to hear what it was, but the horror on their faces and their eyes fix on the incubator were more than enough to understand what it was _

_When Laura felt a hand on her shoulder, the first thing she felt was relief. They, or at least one of them, had already appeared. Without even turning around, she opened her mouth. "Why are we doing this again?" she asked with a sad grin on her lips, caressing her belly. Then, she turned around and saw Billy and Elosha standing in front of her. "I don't want to see this again."_

_Billy offered his arm for support and led her out of the room, out in the corridors. After several seconds walking in silence, Elosha smiled at her. "The ancients used to say 'a people is only as strong as the body of its leader'" she said without losing her smile. _

_Laura continued walking, her arm entwined with Billy's. "If I follow that thought, are you saying that humanity died because I gave up?" she asked smiling slightly, pushing away the images from sickbay she had on her mind. Then, she led out a chuckle. "If you're my subconscious, I've gotta say you're a little full of myself."_

_Elosha's smile grew wider. "Humanity didn't die because you gave up." She paused and guided Laura through a different corridor. "The ancients, they got a lot of things wrong."_

_Billy held Laura's arm closer to his body and followed the two women. "The body of a people is not the same as the body of its leader" he said opening his mouth for the first time. Then, he made Laura look at him and stared into her eyes. "But the soul and the spirit might be."_

_"Oh, I see," Laura said stopping on her tracks and looking at both her companions, "so the two of you are only laying morality at my feet. Well, that's okay." She shook her head and continued walking with them. "I can take that. I mean, there are a lot of people who have sins far greater than mine."_

_Billy looked at her and smiled. "You're thinking of Gaius Baltar here, aren't you?" he stated more than asked. _

_Before Laura could answer him, they were back at sickbay. She was in there before she even realised it was where they were heading. Bill and Laura were alone; Lee, Kara and Cottle had left. The incubator was now closer to the bed, and their eyes were still fix at the tiny baby inside it. Laura couldn't stop herself; she immediately walked towards it, towards them. _

_The couple was in absolute silence, with their hands linked. All the tension she had seen between them was now forgotten. They were in that together, and nothing else mattered at the moment. They were holding their breaths and trying to hold themselves together, almost as if they were waiting for something to happen. _

_Laura turned around and saw Billy. With tears on her eyes, she extended a hand towards him. He took it and took several steps towards her, until he was by her side. Then, he smiled sadly. "It's not her time yet," he whispered, "but they know she won't resist much longer. They're trying to prepare themselves for it, but they'll never be prepared."_

_She looked at him with pleading eyes. "Why are you showing me this?" she asked with a broken voice._

_Billy just nodded and put a faint smile on his lips. "You'll eventually understand."_


	40. XL

_I'd like to apologise for the long delay... This second semester's being much more demanding and I just couldn't find the time or energy to write, but I have not abandoned this story.  
_

_And I want to thank all of you who've stuck with this story for so long... I cannot promise you I'll have the following chapter within the next couple of weeks, but I can tell you I've already got a bit of it written and I think you're going to like it. _

* * *

**XL.**

More than an hour had passed and the Dradis was still not showing anything unusual. There were no news, no signs, no _nothing_… But, still, Bill felt that Laura was alright; he felt it in his bones, he knew it. She _had_ to be alright, and he would find her, wherever she was.

Bill heard someone clearing its throat. Hi took his eyes off the Dradis and turned around, finding Tigh standing in front of him. "Recon Raptor has just reported back. The Resurrection Hub is gone" he informed. "And there's no sign of the baseship carrying the President" he said, softening his tone, aware how it all was affecting Bill. Uncomfortable by Bill's silence after his words, he talked again. "Always assuming that's where they were headed."

Bill looked away from his friend and stared at the board in front of him. "They were determined to resurrect the Three, the cylons; the one we used to call D'Anna. To find the Final Five… And… to do that, they've got to go to the Hub." Bill turned around and looked at Tigh again. "We find it and we'll find them."

Tigh grimaced and let a snort fall out from his mouth. "Easier said than done."

"Maybe" Bill quickly answered him. "But that's all we've got, and I'm not going to stop looking for them."

The other man nodded slowly and looked at him doubtful. "Look… I hate to bring this to you, because I know you've already got too much to deal with and I can't even begin to imagine what you're going through… But… We've got other problems" he said looking at him seriously. Bill slowly nodded. "Starbuck's having trouble fielding enough planes to fly a standard cap. She wants us to consider having the fleet bunch up tighter so it's easier to defend."

Bill shook his head and run a hand through his hair. That was just what they needed... "It means counting on a bunch of civvies flying close formation." Risky was the first word that came to his mind. Really? Were they that desperate? That was how they were at the moment? He looked at the other man and nodded. "Organize it." That was the only thing they could do in a moment like that.

He immediately nodded, but didn't move. Thigh took a step towards him. "You should go rest sometime. You'll be of no use for anyone if you insist on staying here. Your shift finished hours ago."

The other man dis as if he hadn't heard a word he's said. He walked towards a table and took a couple of reports, ignoring Tigh. He pretended to read them, but he was unable to do that, there was no way he could focus his eyes enough to understand the letters splayed in the piece of paper in his hands. He eventually gave up and looked up from the piece of paper. "Colonel Tigh" he said, getting Saul's attention. "I understand you've developed a relationship with the cylon prisoner."

If Bill hadn't been so tired, he'd have noticed the sudden change in Tigh's expression. "That's not the word I'd use, but she had been more _cooperative_."

Maybe he hadn't noticed the look in his friend's face, but the tone he had used didn't go unnoticed. However, he decided to let it go. "See if she'll tell you anything about the hub." He needed something, _anything_, and if the cylon on the brig could give them anything he wouldn't be the one to frak it up.

Tigh nodded and stayed there motionless, looking into his friend's eyes. "Bill. We'll find her. We'll find all of them." Bill immediately broke the eye contact and returned to the papers on his hands. "Look, this isn't good for anyone. Not you, not anyone in the CIC and, definitely, not _her_. So go sleep, now" Tigh said, concerned about the other man, but he ignored him. "Damn it, kill me if the two of you weren't made for each other… You're just as _frakking_ stubborn as she is!"

Those seemed to be the right words to earn Bill's attention. He looked at Tigh and blinked. Suddenly, he realized he was tired; too damn tired to do anything more. "I can't go to my quarters" he confessed with a raspy voice. He would be unable to rest there; not with all Laura's things around there…

"Use mine; it's all yours tonight," He had clearly understood what was going on Bill's tired brain. "You've got ambrosia in the cabinet if you need it. I'll give you a call if anything changes."

Bill looked into his friend's eyes for an instant and nodded his head. "Thank you" he voiced almost under his breath.

* * *

When she opened her eyes again, she wasn't at Galactica's sickbay anymore. There she was, kneeled down beside the hybrid, suddenly feeling dizzy. What she had seen had surely left her shaken. There would be no way of taking those images out of her mind...

Two strong hands grabbed her by her arms, supporting her, and, just for a tiny instant, her brain tricked her into believing they were Bill's. But it wasn't. Bill's hands were bigger and stronger, yet at the same time unexpectedly warm and caring. She battered her eyelashes and looked up to see the owner of those hands, feeling a pang in her heart. It was one of her marines; Smith. It definitely wasn't Bill, and no matter how much she wished it, he wouldn't be there to take her into his arms and help her forget her vision any soon.

The man looked down at her with worry in his eyes. He had noticed her thoughts were not there; they were elsewhere but surely not there. "Mam, are you alright?" he asked with a low and steady voice.

Laura smiled slightly and took a quick glance around the room, suddenly remembering Baltar had been there at the time of their last jump. As she had suspected, he was still there, looking back at her with genuine interest. She led out a sigh and turned her head towards Smith. "Yes I'm fine" she assured him as she removed her legs from under her body. She looked up at the young, strong man and smiled. "Would you be as kind as to...?"

"Of course, Mam" the man quickly replied, understanding her petition.

Once she was back up on her feet, she smiled at him with gratitude. "Thank you." It was not that she wouldn't have been able to do it on her own, but simple things like that grew harder and more tiring each passing day and, at that precise moment, she simply didn't have the energy.

"You really didn't need to ask, Mam." The man's lips curved up almost imperceptibly. "Do you need anything?"

She looked at Baltar for an instant and shook her head. There was something she needed to do, but not there and, certainly, not with Baltar hanging around. "The cylons offered a room, didn't they?"

The man nodded in understanding. There was nothing else to do in there. Laura turned towards the door, following the marine. There was no time to lose if she wanted to -

"Laura" Baltar's voice called her, making her stop on her tracks and turn around. As usual, he had used her name, forgetting her position, and managing to annoy her. "Laura, what have you seen?" he asked firmly, looking right into her eyes with curiosity. "You've had one of those visions, haven't you? The hybrid's shown you something..." Suddenly, she felt a cold shiver run down her spine. Could that be true? "You've seen _something_..."

She stayed there frozen for an instant, with her lips pressed in a thin line. She wasn't going to tell him anything about the visions. It was none of his business. It really was nobody's business. She wasn't going to say a word.

He smiled wickedly and nodded. "I understand..." he almost muttered. "I wouldn't like to be of any trouble and keep you from your duty..."

Laura took one last look at the man and turned around, walking out of the room, joining Smith and the other marine in the corridor. "Bring me Captain Agathon" she said to the latter. "Tell him there's something urgent I need to discuss with him. I'll be in the room the cylons offered us."

* * *

Helo hadn't liked the orders she'd given him and it certainly had not come as a surprise to her. Of all the people of the Galactica, maybe excluding Baltar, he was the only one who'd dare to raise his voice for the cylon's interests. Actually, she could almost understand his reasons; he was married to one of them, and his daughter had their blood running through her veins. Just like she and her daughter did, according to the hybrid. Yes, she understood his position, but she couldn't agree with it.

The cylons were still the ones that had destroyed their home-planets and life as they had known it, dragging them onto a quest for survival across the stars. They had killed most of Humanity, and Laura would not be able to forget it that easily. That was their chance to find Earth, a home for the remains of Humanity, their _Safe Heaven_, and she certainly wouldn't let the cylons spoil their chance.

Laura looked at the young man with tired eyes. "Slow down, Captain" she said trying to control her voice. "_At best_, D'Anna knows the identities of the cylons in our fleet." There really was no guarantee of it. "And _at best_, they know a way to Earth." They all had to keep that in mind, including herself. She got carried away and forgot about their real chances too often.

Helo's jaw tensed. "So you're not denying you'd keep the way to Earth to yourself if you could."

"I'm not saying that's true" she said with a steady voice, looking right into his eyes. "I will say that if the cylons had the option, that's exactly, exactly what they would do."

He blinked in disbelief and held her gaze with defiance. "No, I don't think so. Not the Sharons, the Eights."

But they weren't all the same. Not at all. One of them had shot Bill once; she'd never forget that. They were similar but not the same. Laura's eyes filled with pity for the man. He saw all the Eights as his Sharon; as his wife. "Captain, you're not married to the entire production line."

Would it be any different for her if it was about Bill and not the Eights? What if she walked into one of those rooms and found it full of Bills, would she still be able to do it? And if it was her, if she was just one amongst hundreds like her, would she still be able to do it? Would she still be able to try to keep Earth just for humanity if that meant that Bill or she would be excluded from there?

She shook her head vigorously, trying to clear her mind. "I cannot afford to be sentimental, and I cannot afford you to be sentimental either." Laura looked at him hardening her eyes and tensing her jaw. "If you can't do this job, then find me someone who can." The man stared into her eyes, but before he said anything, the red lights across the room's walls started blinking and a siren went out. "What was this?" she asked bringing a protective hand over her belly, suddenly feeling her heart racing.

"I think we are there" Helo said, tensing up and standing almost instantly. "Mam, I must go."

Laura forced a smile on her lips. The imminence of the encounter made her palms sweat and her muscles tense. She nodded slowly, allowing the news sink in. "Good hunting" she wholeheartedly wished him, hoping everything would turn out as they had planned.

The man nodded and turned towards the door, quickly leaving Laura alone in the room. Then, in that solitude, she wiped off the sweat of her hands on her trousers and placed both her hands over her belly, taking a deep breath and trying to calm down. Apparently, her daughter also felt the tension and danger floating in the atmosphere; at least it was the feeling she got from her kicks. She was moving more than usual.

She sighed and shut her eyes tightly. It had already started; there wasn't the possibility of stopping it and simply go back anymore. Their chance of finding Earth was at play at that very same moment. Almost unconsciously, her fingers started caressing her belly right where she felt her daughter's kicks. Laura forgot about everything going on out there for an instant. "We are going to be fine, my love" she whispered, looking down at her belly. "We're going to be with dad soon, I promise..."

Suddenly, she heard some noise coming from the corridor. Her heart started beating faster; there was something going on out there, and that _something _surely wasn't anything good. Before she realised it, she was on her feet and walking towards the door. She couldn't stay there sitting, frozen; she needed to know what was going on. She really didn't know what to expect, but she certainly wasn't expecting the sight she found right in front of her eyes.

For an instant, she froze completely. The man's shirt was completely soaked in blood, flowing from under his ribs. He was pale and barely conscious, only standing because of the marine's firm grip on him. Yes, she didn't like Gaius Baltar that much, but seeing him like that had shaken her completely. She battered her eyelashes and gulped; the realization of what was going on suddenly kicking in. He had been injured. He was losing blood. He needed his injury tended to. He needed a doctor. He needed _someone_, but there was only her and the marine in there. It had to be _her_; there was no time to lose.

Laura immediately moved towards the two men and helped bringing Baltar inside the room and laid him in the backless bench. She needed to stop the blood. She needed to stop it if she wanted to give the man a chance to live. He had been her enemy, but he was there, pale and with his clothes soaked in his own blood. She couldn't let him die. Nobody deserved that.

Luckily for all of them, a medical kit was near hands' reach. She took it and dismissed Smith. With shaking hands, Laura opened the kit as quickly as she was able to and scanned its contents, looking for something she could use.

The eyes of the man peered open and found hers as she looked at him, with a syringe or morpha in her fingers. "Thank you." Laura shook her head and took her eyes off him, trying to figure how to use it. "Thank you" he said again, with an absent look on his eyes.

"Good… Okay, wait" she said as she injected the morpha on the man. "Okay." She reached out for the medical kit again and took a bandage. In contact with his injury, the white cloth soon became red, soaked with blood. But, luckily, the bleeding seemed to stop. Relieved, she led out a sigh and took a deep breath. "You have this...you have this big hole in your hide, as Cottle would say."

The man opened his eyes again and looked at her. "Thank you."

Laura shrugged her shoulders. "It's the least I can do." She leaned her hand on the floor and sat in the floor, next to the banquet. The floor was cold, but she didn't really care. She closed her eyes, breathed deeply and rested both her hands on her belly. "I think you're gonna live… as usual."

The man grinned stupidly and caught Laura's eyes, which had just opened. "You know something?" he asked with a thin voice, without losing his faint smile.

She ran a hand through her hair and stared at him for an instant, wondering what the man could say at that moment. "What?" she asked letting out a sigh.

The grin in his eyes widened as Laura's confusion increased. His eyes were glassy, but there was no sign of pain in his features anymore. He turned his head slightly towards her and smiled cockily. "You're very pretty."

Laura couldn't help but let out a lone chuckle. Gaius Baltar being Gaius Baltar. He was going to live; it was the definitive proof of it. But he clearly wasn't at his best; otherwise he wouldn't have willingly flattered her that way. "Man, that morpha worked fast."

"Still" he said, keeping the smile on his lips. "Do you know why I'm so serene right now?"

She rolled her eyes and smiled for herself. "_Surprise me_" she muttered under her breath, the sound of the words barely leaving her lips. "You're doped out of your mind?"

Baltar shook his head slightly and took his eyes off from her. "Because I know God" he said with a steady voice. "You need God, Laura. Really, you'd be a different woman."

And Laura, sitting in the floor, didn't know if she was supposed to laugh at that or if she had to take that seriously. Either way, she felt a cold shiver run down her spine. She had the feeling the man was about to have a sudden burst of honesty, and that scared her somehow. Only the Lords of Kobol knew what could come through that man's mouth.

* * *

Bill shifted in the bed, unable to find a comfortable position. He had barely slept. He wouldn't be getting any more sleep or rest there; it was useless. He wouldn't be able to get any rest until he had Laura with him again, safe and sound in his arms.

He rose from the bed and walked to the cabinet, looking for the ambrosia his friend had promised him. Maybe it would help. He took one of the glasses and poured a good measure of liquor in it. Then, he rose the glass and brought the green liquid to his lips. It was probably the last bottle of Ambrosia in existence, carefully kept under lock by his friend… It was tempting, but he was unable to open his lips and let the ambrosia pour down his throat. He remembered all too well the last time he had indulged himself with alcohol to drown his worries; he had hurt Laura, he had made her cry and broken her heart. No; he wouldn't drink that.

He put down the glass and left it in the cabinet again, with the ambrosia still intact. He reached for his uniform and dressed quickly. He had to get away from there, from the ambrosia that was calling him back, or he would end up giving into temptation.

The admiral walked to his rooms with long steps. Once he was inside, behind the closed hatch, he sank to the floor and held his head between his hands, allowing the tears to flood his eyes. He missed her. He had to believe it was only a matter of time; that he would soon find her, but the fear in his heart was becoming bigger with each passing instant. He was afraid of losing her, of never finding her, of never meeting their daughter. But he didn't fear for her life; she was alive, he felt it in his bones. She was somewhere out there.


	41. XLI

**XLI.**

Bill was tired. Tired of hanging around the room doing nothing. The room's walls were crumbling down around him; they were choking him. There was Laura's essence in every inch of the quarters; the bed, the sofas, his desk, the shelves full of books and photos. It felt as if she would walk through the bathroom's door any moment, but it wasn't going to happen. Every little thing arround him reminded him of the fact that she was not there, that he didn't know where she was.

He had been coerced to leave the CIC to get some rest, but that wasn't going to happen. He wasn't going to get any rest, so there wasn't any reason not to go back there. And it was what he did; he went back to the CIC. There, everything was in order, as if nothing had happened. As if it was just a normal day, like any other day. But it wasn't.

The first to notice him and do something about it was Tigh. He set his eyes on Bill and waited until Bill was by his side. Then, he talked. "There's been no change. I'm sorry."

Bill nodded slowly. "I know" he simply said as he took his usual spot.

* * *

_Laura looked around her. There she was again; sickbay. _

_The air around her was heavy and cold, oppressing her lungs. She closed her eyes tightly and inhaled deeply. She knew perfectly why she was there, even if she hadn't seen it yet. _

_She felt a soft touch on her shoulder and turned around. When she opened her eyes she found Billy looking back at her with a sad expression on his face. "You won't spare me all this, will you?" she asked him with a thin voice as she brought a protective hand over her belly. _

_He smiled sadly and rested a hand on her shoulder. "I fear I'm not able to do that, Laura. I'm sorry."_

_Laura looked at him sweetly, with a subtle curve on her lips. She really missed Billy. For a long while, he had been the closest thing she had to family left in the universe. "Alright… No, I understand. I have to see this, even if I don't want to."_

_"__Especially if you don't want to, Laura" Elosha said, appearing from behind Billy. "You _need_ to see this and understand."_

_Billy and Elosha made her turn around. The young man took her hand and squeezed it. "Are you ready for this?" he asked with a soft voice. _

_She shook her head and stroked his arm. "No, but I don't think I'll ever be" she said, her voice shaking slightly. _

_Her two companions brought her into the room, but something was off; it was strangely calm. Laura looked at the two of them, looking for an answer, but she got none. They continued walking her closer to where the bed was, but she couldn't see it yet; the curtains were blocking her sight. It could only mean one thing, and that instantly made her feel a lump forming on her throat. The sight of whatever was behind those curtains was only a couple of steps away. _

_There it was. The bed. The other Laura was lying on it half-seated with a white bundle on her arms and Bill standing beside her, his hand resting on her shoulder. _

_Laura walked closer to them, and the big white bundle became an enormous blanket wrapped around a tiny body; her daughter's. She left Billy and Elosha behind and walked towards them, towards the bed, taking a closer look._

_With that blanket wrapped around her, her daughter only looked smaller and more fragile. One realization immediately struck her; her time was coming. Cottle wouldn't have allowed them to take her if there was any hope left. That was it. Her time was almost there. She'd soon be gone. _

_A tiny hand was holding the other Laura's little finger. The simple sight of that link between daughter and mother made her heart clench. She took her eyes off her little girl and looked at the parents, and the hurt and heartbreak on their faces was almost too hard to handle. _

_The other Laura was more or less holding it together, but only on the outside, because she knew that look on her face; it was _herself_ after all. She knew how to read that face, and it was full of sadness and heartbreak, even with that tiny smile on her lips. She knew what that smile meant; it was a little moment of fleeting happiness before that weak grip on her little finger disappeared. It was a short moment with her daughter, with her _family_, before sadness ate her heart and left a void space in its place. _

_Yes, that sight broke her heart, but it was nothing compared to what the look in Bill's eyes did to her. The sadness and unshed tears, stuck deep down in his ocean blue eyes, the grimace in his lips, the way his hand malted on the other Laura's shoulder… It killed her. He looked so heartbroken, so miserable and so weary that the simple sight of him on that state sent a deep pang to her heart. _

_Laura looked at them; the three of them. The pain and grief of the parents was evident, but they were also sharing some kind of serene happiness; they were in that together, they were a _family_ –maybe for the first time. That, made it almost unbearable for Laura to endure the scene playing out before her eyes. It was her family, being torn. Being spoilt. Broken. _

_A soft sob escaped from the other Laura's lips unexpectedly, and her eyes instinctively travelled to her small daughter. Her breaths were getting heavier. The grip on her mother's finger was getting weaker. _

_The other Laura carefully brought the small body closer to her. She cleared her throat softly, fighting back her tears, and caressed her daughter's thin arm gently. "Don't go… Please" she managed to say, her voice shaking. _

_The walls Bill had been trying to keep tumbled down at those words. He let his body sank down and sat beside Laura, drawing one of his arms around her shoulder. She shivered under his touch, but she didn't stiffen or move away. Then, knowing she wouldn't reject him, Bill stroke her shoulder softly, trying to give her some reassurance or at least comfort her somehow. "We have to let her go" he whispered with a croaky voice, placing his free hand on their daughter's head protectively. "We can't keep her forever. There's nothing else we can do besides giving her our best farewell."_

_Laura brought her shaking hand on top of Bill's. "I can't do this" she whispered in a thin voice" she whispered in a thin voice. "This is not fair." Tears of rage flooded her eyes. "It's not fair." Her voice became a thin whisper again. "I - I should've…" she said, her voice breaking. _

_He removed his hand from their baby's head and covered Laura's still shaking hand. "No, don't" he said with a soft voice. "Don't do this, Laura. It's not your fault." He stroked her fingers gently. "Losing a child is always difficult. We try to find someone to blame, but it only makes it harder…" He gulped and drew her closer to him. "I've been there before, Laura. It is no one's fault."_

_The woman raised her eyes and looked into Bill's. "This shouldn't have happened…" Her voice was thin, broken. _

_Bill nodded slowly. "I know. I know." He tightened his embrace on Laura and lowered his head to place a soft, gentle kiss on their daughter's forehead. _

_When he was about to move and release her, Laura entwined her fingers with his'. "Don't go" she pleaded him. "Don't leave. Stay here. _Please._" A soft sob escaped her quivering lips. _

_He caressed her hand and kissed her forehead softly, tightening the embrace around her shoulder. "I'd never dare doing that; _never_."_

_She gave him a small nod of her head and bent to place a loving kiss on their baby's forehead. Then, she rested her head on Bill's shoulder, with a sad smile on her lips. She looked completely drained. "I would've been happy, like this… Us…" she breathed out, her eyes fix on the small girl in her arms. _

_The grip around her shoulder tightened. "Me too, Laura" he whispered. "We still can …"_

_She looked up to him with tears in her eyes. "Maybe."_

_Bill nodded slowly and placed a soft kiss on her lips. Laura was shaking almost imperceptibly, he noticed. He looked at her closer and examined her expression; the anxiety and uneasiness were gone, she was serene. His eyes quickly travelled to their daughter._

_And then, he realized._

_Their daughter was gone. She was dead. Her struggle had finally finished. _

_He caressed her tiny forehead, brushing Laura's fingers in the process. "You go" he whispered. "You go" he repeated, his voice shaking with pain. "You go to your rest now." Bill brought Laura's body closer to his and let his tears to flow freely. "I'm not going to be selfish anymore" he breathed out, the words barely leaving his throat. ·You go. Rest."_

_Laura, the real one, seated on the bed beside the grieving parents, watched the scene with a cascade flowing down her cheeks and her hands tightly pressed against her belly, feeling each and every one of her daughter's moves. She was crying, unlike the other daughter, as she noticed when she found her staring into her eyes; her cheeks were wet, but her eyes were dry. She didn't have any more tears to cry; she was too broken to even cry. And she was looking into her eyes, as if she realized she was there. She was looking into her soul; making Laura look into her soul. _

_Then, it happened. _

_Suddenly, Laura was on the other Laura's mind. Her memories were hers'. Her feelings, her heartbreak, her secrets, her fears; it all was Laura's. It was too much, too overwhelming._

* * *

"What do we got?" asked Saul rising his voice.

Bill felt a sharp pang on his heart. "One of our missing raptors jumped into Dradis range." Laura; it was all he could think about in that moment. Maybe she was there; maybe whoever was there could bring him to her.

"Sure it's ours?" Saul asked, taking him out of his thoughts.

He gulped. "Transponder checks out. It's one of the raptors that boarded the missing baseship." His heart started beating faster. "No radiological signature. Racetrack and Skulls are on their way to intercept."

It wasn't long until Racetrack answered, but those instants were becoming unbearably eternal to Bill. "Actual, Racetrack. I'm eyeballing our bird now." He was a nervous wreck, hoping it would be Laura. "Looks shot to hell."

Those four words sent a cold shiver down his spine. He felt a sharp pang on his heart again, as if it had stopped beating. All his thoughts stopped for an instant, leaving his mind completely blank.

No. It wasn't possible. "_Please, don't let Laura be in there_" he muttered under his breath. He wouldn't be able to go on if it was her; if she was found dead in that raptor. She _had to be _alive and safe, somewhere. It couldn't be her…. _No._

All he could hear was a beeping sound. He was breathing faster; hyperventilating. He was really scared it could be her; he was more scared than he had ever been. "… It's Pike" he suddenly heard. "He's dead."

He led out a breath he had been holding. It was one of his pilots. One of his pilots was dead, but it wasn't Laura. She was safe and sound somewhere, and so was their daughter.

* * *

After the tingling sensation the jump always left, she was back there, in the baseship. The room was awkwardly silent and colder than she remembered. Her cheeks were wet with fresh tears and her hands were tightly pressed over her belly, but her mind was blank. Those first instants, she didn't have anything on her mind. All she could feel was a light but persistent sting in her heart.

Suddenly, she remembered. The vision; her daughter, the heartbreak. That infinite sadness in her own eyes, looking back at her as if she had known she was there, watching that intimate moment. Their eyes had met at the last moment, just before being dragged out of there. But during that little tiny instant she had been in the other Laura's mind. She had felt what she felt, she had been bombarded with her memories; they were hers' now too. Memories so similar and yet so different. Two Lauras.

Her insecurities, her fears, her indecision. The other Laura hadn't been brave enough to go meet Bill, to tell him about it all. She had regretted it afterwards, each passing day, but she never told him. They all eventually learnt about it, and it had been too late to talk with Bill. He had lost all the trust he had put on her when he learnt about it through the press. She didn't tell him anything, but he assumed he was the father, who else could it be beside him? After that, their relationship strained, it reduced itself to the professional side. Eventually, he tried to convince her to let him be a part of it all, but she was too proud to give in, he said. Actually, she was too scared to assume it was real. She was too scared to allow herself to love the tiny life growing inside of her.

Before she realized it, it was too late. One night, in the early hours of the day, she had woken up with a sharp pain on her abdomen and her sheets wet. It was too soon, she thought. She needed to get to Cottle.

She phoned Bill's quarters. He was the only person she could think off at that moment; it was _him _who she wanted by her side. He had flown to Colonial One as quickly as the raptor's engines allowed him to, and then brought her to the Galactica's sickbay, but it was too late to stop it.

Laura shut her eyes tightly. She remembered every instant of it as vividly as if it really had been her who had gone through all of that. More than she had ever done before, she yearned having Bill's arms wrapped around her.

But it did not stop there, she continued remembering. What had happened before the jump?

Baltar had been injured. She had tended to him. He started talking about God, about guilt, about being rewarded for something, about Pythia, about some flood…. Damn it! He had confessed playing a part in the destruction of the Colonies! He had admitted helping the cylon destruct their civilization and continued talking about God.

She had no idea what had happened after it, but the last thing she remembered before the jump were Baltar's pleads. "_Don't do this to me, please_" he had been repeating like a mantra; like a prayer.

_What_? What was it she had done to him?

She felt a strong kick against her palms and looked down, confused to find her shirt smeared with blood. A panic attack kicked in. She started taking sharp breaths, unable to control her breathing, and rose her hands. They were covered in blood.

Baltar. It was his blood; it wasn't hers.

She looked at the man. He was pale, with his eyes closed and blood all over his clothes. Something was wrong with him; he had been pleading like his life depended on it. Laura rose on her knees and saw the bloodied bandages on the floor.

She had removed them.

With a sudden burst of energy she got nearer him and put her fingers on his neck, looking for his pulse. She _had_ to find it. He couldn't be dead. "No. No, please, no" she said with a croaky voice. She couldn't have let him die; she couldn't have killed him… And she led out a relieved sigh; she had felt his pulse, weak but stable.

She jumped for the medical kit, with new tears blurring her vision. Still, she found new bandages to cover his injury with. "Stop bleeding. Stop the bleeding, stop the bleeding" she said as her hands worked as fast as she could. At her touch against the injury, a sound left the man's lips, making her jump. She quickly looked at him. "Okay, good" she whispered, pressing the bandage against his injury, trying to stop the bleeding. "Don't go. Please don't go, Gaius. Please." She continued applying pressure against the bleeding, and it seemed to work. She secured the bandage and took the medical kit again, looking for something else to help the man.

There was a saline bag. What damage could it cause him? It would certainly help him. She took it, uncertain how to use it. It couldn't be that difficult. Cottle and his nurses had attached one of those to her arm quite often, and it didn't look that difficult when they did it. She tried to remember. "All right, put it in" she muttered under her breath as she attached the needle to his arm, hoping she had hit one of his veins. She connected it to the saline box and rested it on the man's chest.

She couldn't let him die; she couldn't bear having his death on her conscience, not anymore. She couldn't carry any other death on her conscience. "No more" she whispered. There had been enough already. She couldn't let anyone else die.

Her presidency had started like that. Looking back, there had been too many deaths, too much blood; always justified for the pursuit of a greater good. She had abandoned all the ships without an FTL, then the Olympic Carrier, then all the people who had been airlocked, then all the people they had lost on New Caprica. She had betrayed her principles, not because she wanted to but because _it had to be done_. She wasn't the same Laura that had boarded the Colonial Heavy 798 for the Galactica's decommissioning ceremony and found herself having to sworn-in for the Presidency. She had become more insensible, she had hardened, she had turned into steel. Her position had required all that, but it was enough. She yearned to be like the old Laura Roslin, before being the President, before the cylons, when she was just a teacher trapped in political office.

She would do her best to save the man; regardless of what he had done he was still a person. He still deserved a chance. "No more, don't go" she muttered under her breath, applying pressure in the bandage to stop the bleeding. "Please don't die. Live, please." A lone tear rolled down her wet cheeks. "Don't go."


	42. XLII

_It's been a while since I last updated, but in my defense I'm gonna say that the second semester had been taking all my time and strength these last months.  
From now on, until next September, the updates will be more continuated.  
_

_I want to say that even if it takes long to update sometimes, I will not abandon this story. I have every intention to finish it, and these long delays have only given me more ideas for future chapters. _

_With that said, I hope you enjoy this chapter!_

* * *

**XLII.**

They had already taken Pike to the morgue when Bill and Saul arrived at the hangar bay to inspect the raptor. The XO stood back and allowed his friend to inspect it by himself; he could see the anxiety and restlessness getting the best of him.

Bill walked inside the machine and surveyed it with a quick look. Except from the hole in the glass, everything was at its place. It was as if the Raptor had never left the Galactica. There was no sign of Laura, there was no clue that could lead them to her and the others.

When he was about to desist, he caught something with the corner of his eye and stopped on his tracks. There, sitting on the co-pilot's seat, was a damaged book.

His heart raced. Laura didn't go anywhere without a book under her arms these days, ever since she had full, unlimited access to his collection.

He took the book carefully and traced the letters in the half-burnt cover with the tip of his index finger. _Searider Falcon_. She had been there; there was no way to deny it anymore. Luckily, she hadn't been there when the Raptor had been attacked. He clutched the book against his chest for an instant, shutting his eyes tightly, a small smile appearing on his lips at the image that had come to his mind; all those evenings he would read to her on their couch, with her head on his chest or her legs resting on his lap.

A single thought came to his mind; the mission was still on. That meant they would come back eventually.

Bill walked out from the Raptor with the book still on his hands. "This is the shuttle she took over to the baseship" he confirmed to Saul.

The other man nodded. "Laird was able to salvage the flight data recorder. Puts the originating jump point deep in sector delta nine." His words made Bill led out a sigh of relief. They were one step closer to finding them. Tigh, however, continued talking. "President Zarek called again. He heard about the raptor and he's waiting to be briefed."

Not everything were good news then, he thought. The simple fact of hearing the word _President_ associated with Zarek made his skin crawl. He hadn't waited much to start calling himself President… That was just one more thing to add to the list of reasons why he didn't trust the man. No, he would not please the man acknowledging his newfound position. Laura was the President; he would only answer to her. "Recall the cap. Spin up the FTLs."

Saul looked at him with a trace of horror on his eyes. "What about the fleet?"

"Let's go" he simply said. He wasn't going to waste any more time. They had just been offered the biggest clue towards the location of Laura and the others they would find. He would not waste it to answer to _President Zarek_.

* * *

Laura lay in one of the backless benches, with one hand resting over her belly, feeling the gentle kicks of her daughter against her palm. She focused on that, with her eyes tightly shut, trying to forget the fact that they hadn't received a word about what had happened yet. She didn't know what had happened yet, but she felt like it had been an eternity since their last jump. They hadn't been attacked, but there was no way to know if all the Colonial pilots were with them or even if they were alive at all; there was no way to know about the outcome of their mission.

A distant, small noise started coming closer to her, slowly becoming louder as it approached down the corridor. She shut her eyes tighter and lay there still, unsuccessfully trying to stop herself from anticipating what would come into the room. Would it be the Colonial pilots and their cylon allies or the other three models and their centurions? '_Don't let it be the cylons,_' she mentally pleaded, '_don't tell me our mission has failed_.' If they failed, if those cylons had boarded the baseship, then there would be no chance to jump back. If that was the case, they would never get the chance to go back to the Galactica and Bill, and that scared her more than anything in the universe.

She lay there, waiting for whomever out there to enter the room. The footsteps and voices were approaching slowly, making the wait eternal, but she couldn't identify them; the big halls muffled the sound.

Then, out of the blue, she heard a panicked voice in the room. "Gaius?" Her instincts immediately took over her, and her eyes peered open. D'Anna. The Three. She led out a sigh of relief; that meant their mission had been successful. She slowly sat up in the bench, looking at the cylon in front of her with curiosity. The Tree hadn't even noticed her; she kneeled beside Baltar. She seemed to care; she seemed to be truly worried about the man. "Gaius, it's me" the woman whispered as she checked his pulse.

"The Hub's been destroyed" a man's voice said from behind Laura. She turned towards the source of that voice. Helo. He had followed her orders after all, though he didn't look much pleased about it.

Laura smiled nervously. That meant their enemies couldn't resurrect no more. They were mortal, just like all the colonials. They could finally be defeated. "Good" she mumbled before clearing here throat lightly. "Don't let anyone in here." She looked at him with icy eyes; they needed to get to Earth, and only D'Anna could open the way to Earth. Only she could give them the Final Five. "Whatever it takes." Her eyes softened; she knew that by following her orders he was acting against his principles. She really didn't like it either, but it had to be done. "Thank you."

Helo gave her a nod of his head and exited the room, leaving Laura alone with the Three and an unconscious Gaius Baltar. She looked at the other woman, whose whole attention was still centred in the man lying in the bench. Though, it wasn't long until she raised her eyes from him and stared at the bloodied bandages Laura had thrown in the floor. "He's injured, but I think he's going to survive." The concern Laura had seen in the woman's eyes before was nowhere to be found in her voice.

The younger woman stood up and looked at Laura, really noticing her for the first time. She froze on her spot and stared at Laura, up and down, with her brow furrowed. Laura slowly got up, a hand splayed over her belly protectively, suddenly feeling vulnerable. She didn't take her eyes off from the Three, whose features turned from disbelief, to confusion, to understanding, and, eventually, to curiosity, all in a matter of seconds.

"Then, it is true…" the woman said, a cocky smile on her lips.

Laura shifted uncomfortably, a cold shiver running down her spine. "What have you just said?" she asked under her breath.

D'Anna smiled again. "Just… some rumours one had heard. Nothing you should be worrying about." The woman walked behind the desk and sat in the chair, crossing her legs and reclining all her weight on the back of the chair. "I think it's going to be a long time jumping back."

The older woman sat in another chair. "I've got plenty of time."

"Is that right?" The irony in D'Anna's voice didn't go unnoticed for Laura. "How much? Maybe a couple of months, week up, week down?" The woman wanted to get her on her nerves. "A woman in your condition should've thought it better before boarding in for such a mission. Does Admiral Adama know you're here? I guess he'll be worried about his _woman and child_ right now…"

Laura shot her a death glare. "That's none of your business." She wouldn't be lectured by anyone, especially not by a cylon. She had no right to do so.

"Well…," the younger woman started, "you went to a lot of trouble to bring me here." She looked at Laura, waiting for some kind of response. When Laura didn't give her any, she continued talking. "Deceiving your so-called allies…" Laura didn't react again, and she wouldn't, D'Anna realised. She sighed audibly. "I suppose you've got some questions for me."

"Yes, I do," she admitted, though her voice didn't lose its defiance. She couldn't be sure if the cylon would collaborate or if she would just lie. Despite that, she was the chance they had. Laura sat back and scrutinized the cylon before opening her lips again. "I'd like to talk about the five cylons in my fleet; the Final Five."

The cylon's eyes lighted up. "So… you know about the Final Five."

Laura sighed. The woman was playing with her and seemed to be enjoying it. "I know they're supposed to know the way to Earth."

"Impressive…," D'Anna started, with a wide smile on her lips. "You know that, but you don't know you're one of them?"

Those words left her petrified No, it couldn't be true. She remembered her parents, her sisters, her childhood and her whole life in Caprica. There was no way all of that was a lie, was there? There was that serious look in the Three's eyes; she had seen the Final Five, she knew their faces. The hybrid's words echoed in her ears; it had called her _sister_, it had said they shared the same blood.

A chuckle took Laura out of her thoughts. "Your face!" D'Anna managed to say before bursting out in another chuckle. "Oh, it's ridiculous!" she mocked her.

She had fallen into the cylon's trap. She should've known better than trust the woman without proof. Feeling self-conscious, Laura slipped a fake smile on her lips; one of those she had mastered ever since becoming President. The woman had fooled her, just like that, so easily. She could not trust anything that came through her lips.

"No, look, I'm not giving you any names." The cylon was being serious again. "Not until I feel like I'm safe… 'Cause information is all I got, sweetie." The woman led out an audible sigh of desperation. "I'm mortal now." There was bitterness in her voice. "In fact, I'm the only three in the whole darn universe, so I've got to worry about protecting myself."

Laura nodded her head, a sheepish grin on her lips. She could almost understand it. The Three was mortal, just like any human. She was aware of it and she wouldn't let anyone fool her. She was afraid and she wouldn't trust anyone.

"I'll tell you who the Final Five are when you take me back to your fleet," she said flashing a smile. "Oh, and by the way, Laura, I would've said the same thing if you'd have met me with a whole lot of cylons, 'cause I don't trust anyone right now." Her smile became wider. "So all this deception, complete waste of time."

* * *

The book was resting on the table in front of Bill, calling him as if it was a piece of Laura herself. He felt her closer with it there, at arm's length. She had taken it to the baseship with her; it had been in her hands mere hours ago.

"We're getting radiation signatures from multiple nukes," he heard Saul say beside him, and a sudden cold shiver ran down his spine. She was fine; she had to be. "Baseship fragments, other debris indicative of resurrection technology." There was a short pause, and Bill saw his friend looking back at him. "I'm afraid it paints a pretty clear picture.

There was pity in Saul's eyes, and that he would not tolerate. "They found the hub and they destroyed it," he said, keeping his voice cold. If their man hadn't fulfilled their mission the Hub wouldn't have been destroyed and there would be plenty of destroyed Vipers instead. "Looks like our pilots helped." His eyes travelled to the book again. "Question is, where'd they go from here?"

His friend stepped closer and lowered his voice. "Bill, you are way too close to this. The president's baseship was destroyed."

"It's a different baseship," he almost hissed, lowering his voice to a threatening tone. "And we'll search every square inch of this debris field until we come up with a clue."

Saul stepped even closer, with disbelief written all over his face. "What, and leave the rest of the fleet back there with their asses hanging in the wind?"

"Detail four raptors to stay behind. They keep searching until they find something concrete. Give my order," he growled.

"You are too close to this, you can't think straight anymore. You have to –"

"What?" he growled loudly, cutting off the other man, forgetting for an instant that they were in the CIC, surrounded by the crew. He took a deep breath and lowered his voice again, talking through gritted teeth. "You're trying to tell me that I should stop trying to get to them, accept that they're gone and move on?" He dug his nails in his palms as his nostrils flared in anger. "I'm not going to do that. Not now that we've got a real clue towards them."

Saul walked towards him and placed a hand on the other man's shoulder. "You can't see straight anymore, you're being partial. What are the chances of you being right? How much are we risking for it?"

Bill ignored the other man and picked up the book from the table. "I'm not giving up on them. I _can't_ give up on them. It's my wife and child. How could I give up on them? I thought you of all would understand it. If you had a chance to get Ellen back, no matter how slim, wouldn't you take it and hang onto it with all your strength?"

The other man's jaw tensed with anger. "Don't you dare bring Ellen into this!" he growled, forgetting they were in the CIC.

"Then, stop talking about Laura." Bill's voice was more controlled, almost a whisper, but not less threatening than Saul's. "She's my wife; I love her. I'm not going to stop until I have her back with me." He walked past Saul and to the exit of the CIC, suddenly stopping. "And just so you know, it's not only about her. Most of our pilots are there too. I'm not going to leave any of them hanging."

* * *

"Madam President?" Helo immediately said as Laura walked through the door and into the corridor. "Is everything alright?"

She nodded and gave him a small smile. "It is. You stay here, keeping an eye on Mr Baltar. If the Three wants to leave don't stop her."

The young man looked at her in confusion. "But…?"

Laura took a deep breath. "She's free to go. She's not going to tell them anything; she hasn't said anything." She could almost hear a '_I told you so_' coming from the man's lips. "She doesn't trust anyone right now." She noticed him looking back at her, waiting for some kind of apology she wouldn't give him. "That's all, Captain."

She continued walking down the corridor, leaving Helo behind. Being alone in a quiet place for a while, that was what she needed. She closed her eyes and tried to remember how she had got there from the hybrid's room in the first place, mentally trying to trace the maze that all those look-alike corridors were. Oddly, it all was clearer with her eyes closed.

There was a turn in front of her, she could sense it. Laura opened her eyes and, for just an instant, she saw long blonde curls getting lost in one of the corridors. She battered her eyelashes, trying to make sure if it had been real.

After a second of doubt, Laura ran towards the corridor the long blonde curls had taken, and she saw them again, in the other end of the corridor, running away from her, disappearing in front of her eyes again.

It hadn't been in her imagination; she had seen someone running. Someone was hiding. The owner of those long blonde curls didn't want to be found.


End file.
